


World Wanderer | Patchwork

by FactoryManager



Series: World Wanderer | Volume 2 [3]
Category: No Fandom, Original Work
Genre: Abduction, Adventure, Canon Non-Binary Character, Dragons, Fantasy, Freeform, Gen, Magic, Minor Character Death, Mystery, No Beta, Original Character(s), Original Fiction, Original Universe, Science Fiction, gore but they're stuffed animals so idk, graphic defluffing, stuffed animals, world wanderer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:22:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 30,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28020861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FactoryManager/pseuds/FactoryManager
Summary: Quilten Village is a quiet place. The community is small and the citizens are kind. Everyone knows each other and are more than welcome to meet new people. The weather is always sunny and warm, with few showers in between. The sun is always shining and flowers are ever in bloom. There also happens to be a festival going all, meaning spirits are higher than ever.No longer tasked with cleaning duty, living on the Train has gotten easier. Sol is struggling with the responsibility of being one of the few members of Recall who are capable of gathering core energy. Vincent believes it is a start to something new and continues to push them to harness the power of cores. With their newfound ability, the stress of it all is only going to get worse.
Series: World Wanderer | Volume 2 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2019769





	1. Chapter 1

The smell of fresh-cut foliage wafted through the air as I trimmed down the corn stalks. I set the discarded leaves in a plastic bucket. I would drop them off in the compost room once I was finished. I'd been working in the garden for over three weeks now and was getting the hang of it. It was much nicer than spending the day cleaning. As a bonus, I got to spend time with Clay and some of the other gardeners. Not everyone was as social as him, but it was nice to at least have them around if only to listen to their footsteps and hear them chat with each other. It is less lonely.

"I heard we'll be stopping at a new place soon," Clay said.

He stood at the opposite side of the row we were working on, also cutting leaves. We were both dressed in the same worn jeans, with different colored t-shirts. He had his long dreadlocks pulled back and held in a high bun. It was hot enough for me in here with my shortly cut hair, I could only imagine what it was like for him. And this was the colder section on the train. There was no wonder why he stayed back here.

"I heard that too," I remarked.

After what happened at the Lucky Coin Casino city, Vincent wanted to try getting a core’s power again. But this time he decided to pick someplace he thought would be easier and wouldn't run the risk of encountering the Overseers or Colonizers. He told me about it over two weeks ago and that's about all I've heard since.

"Are you worried?" Clay asked.

"A little," I told him. Every place I'd been to was dangerous. There was no reason to believe where we were going next wasn't going to be the same. "I've been practicing with the cards as Vincent told me. He thinks I can use it to defend myself since I'm not good at fighting."

"I guess I can see that working," Clay said. Once, when we're alone I showed him how I could use the runestone Gold gave me. He was impressed by it. He was the only one besides Vincent and Adrian who seemed to think it was anything off-putting. "Could give someone a serious cut if you can throw them hard enough."

"It’s hard to know without practice. The best I can do now is practice hitting them against the wall of my room." Metal wasn't exactly great when testing their strength, but at least my accuracy was making some improvement.

When our buckets got full we left for the composting room. Clay’s dog Honey Bun took the lead as Clay saw through her eyes. Hue, content with saying as a white cat, followed behind her. He'd warmed up to the medium-sized dog enough to not immediately try to escape when she got close. He drew the line at playing with her. I wasn't sure Hue even knew how to play.

The composing room had several large plastic trash containers. They were each at a different stage and kept up by people in rubber clothing who turn it every once in a while. This room was the warmest in the whole train car. Alternatively, It was kept dry as well, to keep everything from rotting. I didn’t know much about the process other than the result was important for keeping the garden healthy growing.

"How are things with Quince going?" Clay asked as we headed back to the garden. "Are you two friends again?"

"We weren't friends to begin with," I told him. She'd made an effort to be nicer to me, but I still wasn't sure about her and I being friends.

"Well, either way, you should consider making up with her. We have a small world here. I didn't know about you, but I'm not used to having people close by that keep to themselves. Having good people you know around is the only way to get through things. The good and the bad."

I nodded. I didn't know what I'd do without Ninety-one and Zero-zero. Or where I would be. "Are we friends?"

"I'd say so, yeah," Clay said, smiling brightly at me. "You, Nicholas, and Oscar. I considered all of you my friends. Haven't known Quince long enough to add her yet. But I’d love to get a few more. It helps with making this place more homely."

It must have been hard for him to adjust to all of this. To have his whole town taken from him in one night. "I'm glad we get to work together now."

"Me too."

The walk back was in a comfortable quiet. The last two weeks have been the happiest I've been since living in Burilmont. Living on the Train was still odd, but getting it was getting easier each day.

When we reentered the garden, I was surprised to see Vincent and Adrian standing inside. They looked at me expectantly. The contentment I felt quickly vanished.

"Sol," Vincent said as he moved towards me. "How are you doing today?"

"I'm fine," I answered. I haven't seen either of them in days. I knew they weren't here with good news. Not for me anyway.

"That's good to hear," Adrian said. "We need you in good condition. We’ll be arriving tomorrow and leave the day after."

I knew it. It was too much to hope that this new place will be decent. Or stay that way by the time we leave.

"What kind of place is it?" Clay asked.

They both looked at him as if they'd forgotten Clay was there. "It is a peaceful little village. I doubt we'll run into any trouble there," Adrian answered.

"There isn’t much to it," Vincent added. A look of vague annoyance crossed its place. "It’s too childish in my opinion. No one there understands that there is a harshness to life. It’s odd and not the kind of place people will want to live the rest of their lives in. I would drive them mad."

Adrian smiled, amused at Vincent’s reaction. "It isn't too bad. Especially if you're fond of stuffed animals."

"I'm not. Anyway, Sol, I want you to bring the stone and your cards. We'll also be using this chance to see how they work within the influence of another core's power."

"Okay," I said. Confused about what Adrian had said.

"You're free to take the time off as well," Vincent said. "We need you well-rested."

"Okay," I said nodding.

"We'll see you then," Vincent said before he and Adrian left.

"Are you nervous? He didn't sound happy about it, but Vincent made it sound kinda peaceful." Clay said. I thought that about Coal Grove too. But there was no need to tell him that.

I didn't take the reminder day off. Staying around and talking with Clay was calming. Being in the garden and quietly tending to the plants was peaceful. Someone I was even able to forget everything going on around us. The movement of the Train. The feeling of the giant treads as we moved. The unknowns of the world we lived in. All of it disappeared and it was great.

I met with Ninety-one and Zero-zero at dinner. Mealtimes were the only time we could meet up together. Vincent had already told them about us stopping tomorrow.

"Vincent didn't seem too happy about getting there," Zero-zero said from his spot across the table.

"Adrian mentioned something about stuffed animals," I told them. Zero-zero looked confused.

"Maybe a toy factor?" Ninety-one guessed.

"I hope not," Zero-zero said, shifting to lean on the table. "The range of a core’s power is pretty large. Could you imagine having to get around in a factory the size of a city?"

"Have you ever been to a factory before?" Ninety-one asked him playfully.

Zero-zero set his head in his hand. "No. And I'd like to keep at it, thank you."

"Vincent made it seem like the people there were kind of childish," I added. It didn't explain why Vincent was upset about going, but he was a serious type of person.

"As long as it is as safe as he says it is, it doesn't matter," Zero-zero said, turning his attention back to his food. "I'll be happy not to be cleaning for a while."

"It isn't the best work but it's important," Ninety-one said optimistically. "How's working with Clay going."

"It’s nice."

We talked about our day for the rest of dinner. Afterward, I headed to my room. From there I opened the library. Sitting on the table was a desk of poker cards. Not the golden ones Gold gave me, but a regular deck. Among those cars were a few that were bright pink, blue, and yellow. A few days back, I tested out Heita’s rune just to see how it would go. Since it only turned things into different colors. It wasn’t useful for anything but it was safe and I was comfortable using it.

The runestone was also sitting on the table. I was nervous about keeping it in my room. So this is where I kept it. I’d probably have to take it with me when I left. Also on the table sat the scanner, a short rectangular device with a long cord. I hadn’t figured out what to use that for yet.

Hue jumped on the table as I took a seat in one of the chairs. The map overtook the surface of the table as it sensed Hue touching it. I ignored it for now. I already know we were a good distance away from the Lucky Coin city and any other place I’d been before. What I was focused on was the sheet of paper I had on the table. On it were the names of every city I had been to. Next to each name was a description of what I thought the cores’ abilities were.

For Heita, Lucky Coin, Coal Grove, and Burilmont it was easy to figure it out. Lucky Coin had floating cards. Heita changed to the color of things. Burilmont was making doorways to red or blue versions of the same place, though I was still unsure of the details. And Coal grove was turning things to wood. I also wasn’t sure about the specific limitations of that one and had no desire to try it out.

Goldsboro basically had six things it could do. Which made it hard for me to decide whether I should test it out or not. Writing it down helped me get it all organized. The trouble was finding out what to do now. Should I just practice until I master them? If so, then what happened afterward? Should I just keep learning new runes and their powers?

I want to ask someone what I should do but I know what everyone’s answers will be. Ninety-one and Zero-zero will say that it’s too dangerous and not to do more than I should. Vincent and Adrian will want me to learn them all to help Recall. I wish I could talk to Victoria, but I haven’t seen her since I started working with Clay.

I sighed, wishing this could just be easy. I missed living in Burilmont. I missed being bored all the time. But there was nothing that could be done about it now. Recall's goal was to find a safe place for people to live. As long as I was here and helped them out, we would eventually reach that goal sooner or later. It had only been a couple of months. I needed to be patient.

I shook the thoughts from my head and focused on levitating a poker card off the table. I needed to get used to doing it without a written rune or the stone. Without either, I could do little more than lift a single one barely an inch up. Even then it would be shaky and quickly fall back down.

After what Gold had said about it being dangerous to leave written runes around, I was hesitant to write one. What would even happen if it’s power got out of control here? I was so worried about it happening, I didn’t want to risk accidentally forgetting I did it. I wish I get someone to help me with this. Even if they were just sitting in here with me.


	2. Chapter 2

I went to work in the garden in the morning despite what Vincent said, I would be better off working than not. The day came and went fairly quickly. That night I packed everything I thought I would need into my backpack. Including the runestone and a few cards that I kept in the black card case.

It was the morning for us to leave. I took the backpack with me to breakfast. On the way there I ran into Quince. It was more like she was waiting for me.

"Hey," she greeted, moving to walk beside me.

"Hey," I said back.

"Vincent said that I'm leaving with you today." I only nodded. "So, are you curious about what it's going to be like? I'm kind of excited."

"Adrian said there are stuffed animals there," I told her plainly. Quince gave me the same confused looks I'd gotten from Ninety-one and Zero-zero.

We went our separate ways once we entered the cafeteria. I ate with Ninety-one and Zero-zero like usual and we headed to the garage of the Train. There weren't as many people leaving this time since no one would be getting supplies. Me, Ninety-one, Zero-zero, Vincent, Ashe, and Quince were going. With Hue, that made only seven of us.

Instead of using the bus, we split into two groups. Ashe, Quince, and Vincent got into Ashe’s SUV while the rest of us used the white van I got from Goldsboro. The ride was quiet as Zero-zero drove, following behold Ashe.

The drive was short, only lasting fifteen minutes before we stopped in a grassy field. Several feet ahead the grass changed. It was a brighter green and didn't look like grass. It was too thick and didn't move right in the breeze. Getting closer I realized that the grass appeared to be made of fabric.

"Alright, before we go inside, there are things you all should know," Ashe announced, stopping us.

Vincent held up a large duffle bag. Unzipping it he reached inside and pulled out a blank cosmic sphere. He held it close to his body before throwing the bag into the weird grass. The moment it passed the boundary of the core’s influence it transformed. It was much smaller now and appeared to be made of the same material as the grass.

"It's rare but at times a core's power will cause things to change physically to match the environments it has created," Ashe continued. "This will affect you as well."

Vincent nodded to him. Taking a shallow breath, Ashe stepped over the line in the grass. A shimmering wave moved over his body as it began to change. Shrinking as his body morphed, becoming brown and fuzzy. In barely over a minute, Ashe had been transformed into a stuffed bear.

Hue turned and looked up at us with black buttons for eyes and a threaded black nose. He wasn't the size of a normal toy bear, he was a little under three feet tall. His clothes have shrunken with him, yet now looked more toy-like. The buttons on his pants and shirt were too large. His shoes were gone, leaving Ashe with fuzzy paws to walk on.

"Are you okay?" Ninety-one asked slowly.

"It feels strange, but not bad," Ashe answered. His small bear mouth opened and closed, revealed fabric inside. Teeth, tongue, and all. His voice hadn't changed. It would have almost been fun if not for being so strange.

"Who's next?" Vincent asked. No one volunteered. Ashe being fine was hardly enough for me to want to be turned into a stuffed toy.

Was he even still a living thing? He didn't seem to be breathing, but it was hard to tell under the fur. Was it fur? Hair? Fabric? Was he an actual stuffed animal or just something that looked like one? Did he need to eat? If so would it be smaller stuffed animals? Would they be able to speak too? What happened when he needed to use the bathroom? Did he have organs? Bones?

"Quince," Vincent said, shaking me from my thoughts. "Go ahead."

We all looked at her. She didn't look afraid but wasn’t happy about being selected. Regardless, she walked forward onto the fake grass and was also transformed. It was the first time I'd ever seen a toy bird before. She was brightly colored in orange, yellow, and green. Her arms were now large plush wings with stitching to indicate feathers. Her eyes were like Ashe’s. She had large three-toed bird feet and a wide colorful tail.

"I hate this," Quince said as she looked over herself. Her clothes had changed a bit more than Ashe’s. The sleeves on her shirt were gone, allowing room for her wings. "Why do I have to be a bird."

"It’s random, sorry," Ashe said.

Vincent looked over at the rest of us, clearly already tired of waiting. Without further prompt, Zero-zero moved forward. He was changed into a black and white dog with floppy black ears.

"How does it feel?" Ninety-one asked, chuckling at him.

Zero-zero stared down at his fluffy white paw-hands. His dog mouth turned into a frown. I tried not to smile. He made a cute stuffed animal. "I don't like this."

"At least you're not a bird," Quince commented.

"Our turn," Ninety-one said, taking my hand. I didn't question why he did it, just allowed him to lead me over the border to the others.

I closed my eyes as the feeling of the core’s power washed over me. It tingled while also feeling like a weight that pressed down on all sides of me. When I opened them again, I looked over myself. My skin- fur- color odd. It was dark purple, almost black in color. Over it were hundreds of tiny white specks that looked like the night sky.

Looking over my hands- paws, I saw that they were black on the bottom. Thick, black stitching indicated where each of the three fingers would be. I didn't have real fingers. My skin itch looked at them.

On either side of my head were two long drapes of fabrics that went all the way down to my chest. I touched one, it felt weird doing so and realized it was an ear. I was a rabbit. This was awful. I prodded at my sides. No bones. My mouth felt weirdly dry. I couldn't make saliva. I moved my mouth, feeling the softness of my teeth. This was awful.

There was an unhappy meow at my feet. Looking down I saw what could only be Hue. I must have dropped him. He was a four-legged stuffed cat. Only his stomach was white. The rest was a swirled mix of pastel colors. He stared up at me with grey button eyes.

"Are you okay?" Ninety-one asked. I looked up at him to see that he was a simple grey dog with only one ear flopped that was over.

"Yeah," I said while lifting Hue into my arms. He was a lot lighter now.

"Is everyone ready to go?" Vincent asked. He has stepped over. He was now a white cat with pink stitching over where the scars on his face were. The cosmic sphere was much larger now. It hadn't changed at all. Regardless, Vincent stuffed it in the duffle bag before handing it to Ashe to carry. "We have a bit of a walk before we get to the village."

"How far is it?" Zero-zero asked.

"It is only about half a mile, but with our shorter legs it will take longer than normal," he answered. "This ground doesn't make it any easier.

With Vincent and Ashe at the lead, we began walking. The ground was soft. Not in a muddy way, it was more like a pillow. It was hard to keep my balance. We passed trees and rocks that were made of the same material. It was strange knowing that I was made of the same thing.

The village was in view from the moment we stepped across the border. It was still early morning and the sun was in our eyes, casting the village in a shadow that made the details hard to see. From what I could make out, there were short buildings. None of them taller than a single story.

"What are we going to do when we get there?" Zero-zero asked.

"The plan is simply to gather the core's energy into the sphere," Vincent explained. "It will take a while since the power isn't strong. The village isn't dangerous therefore we'll be free to move around as we please."

"So we're just going to wait around?" Quince asked.

"No, we will also be looking for the core. It should be hidden somewhere in the village," Vincent said. "The best way to find it is to find the area where things are the strangest or out of the norm. But that doesn't work here. The entire village is filled with the same childish nonsense."

The disdain in his voice was off-putting. I haven't been around enough things for children to know whether I like them or not. But even if I didn't, I doubt I'd them as much as Vincent seemed to. Was it just this place in general or did he not like all things for kids.

Soon enough we reached the edge of the village. It was marked by an off-white colored path. The large stitching in the ground made the path appear to be bricked. It felt no different from everything else when I walked on it.

The buildings around us were mismatched in colors. Some were blue, others pink, or orange, or purple or green. A few had white horizontal stripes, others had colored spots, and some had patches that looked to be hastily stitched into them. Their roofs were the same odd colors and patterns.

"This place looks like it's out of a cartoon," Quince said happily.

"The people act like it too," Vincent said, almost bitterly.

Stuffed animals like us were walking around. All different types of animal colors and patterns. None of them seemed to notice us yet. Or at least didn't know we didn't belong here.

"Where should we start?" Ashe asked.

"The two of us will have to find somewhere we can stay when night comes. The rest of you are free to wander about and learn what you can about this place," Vincent answered. He gazed over the village with a frown before leaving with Ashe. The rest of us stood in silence as they walked away, heading towards a building that was striped in red and brown.

"I guess we'll look around then," Ninety-one said.

We headed straight, cutting through the middle of the town. There were mostly shops around us. A bookstore, a clothing store, one for flowers, another for toys, and so on. I paused in front of a bakery. There was a large window. Behind it were shelved displaying cakes, cookies, and other desserts. All of them looked like toys.

So the people here did eat.

"Hello, there? See something you like?" A warm voice said. At the entrance of the building stood a brown bear, with light cream colored swirls on her cheeks and arms. She wore a white apron with blue and pink cupcakes decorating it. She had a wide smile on her face that quickly changed to excitement. "Hold on a minute. I haven't seen any of you before. You must be newcomers."

"Yes, we came in a few minutes ago-" Zero-zero started.

"Welcome! Welcome!" The bear said as she quickly stepped over to use. She grabbed Zero-zero's paws in her own and smiled brightly at us. "Welcome to Quilten Villa. I hope our cozy little town treats you well."

"Thank you," Zero-zero said, taken aback by her enthusiasm.

"Not at all. If you or your friends need anything, don't hesitate to ask. Everyone here will be more than happy to assist you." She patted his paws. "Oh, dear! Well, pardon me, I've forgotten my manners. My name's Cinnamon Twist. Everyone calls me Twist. I own this shop here. What’re your names?"

"Oscar," Zero-zero turned to gaze over at us. She was still holding on to him.

"I'm Nicholas."

"Quince."

"Sol."

"It is an absolute pleasure to meet you all," Twist said. "If you need someone to show you around, I'd be happy to volunteer."

"No, thank you," Zero-zero said as he pulled his hands from hers. "We'll be fine on our own."

"Oh, well okay then. If you change your mind or find yourselves needing something to eat, feel free to come and find me."

"We'll keep that in mind," Zero-zero said politely.

"You do that. I hope all of you have a wonderful day."

"Same to you," Ninety-one said. Twist gave a wave before heading into the shop.

"I can see why Vincent doesn't like it here," Zero-zero said while ushering us away from the window. Ninety-one only laughed in response.


	3. Chapter 3

The town was alive with activity. People were flowers outside of windows and in pots outside of doors. Some stood in tall ladders to connect long ropes that were covered in flowers to rooftops. At the center of the village was a small grassy area, almost like a small park. Stands covered in flower pots covered each of them. The flowers were arranged by colors. There were some of every color in the rainbow and there were even some that were patterned. Plaid, striped, dotted. All of the set in neat little bouquets.

"What is all this for?" Quince asked.

"They must be celebrating something," Zero-zero said. "Spring, if I had to guess."

"I think it's nice," Ninety-one said with a smile.

I stopped at a small stall that held roses. Each petal was a different color, Makino the whole flower a rainbow.

"Beautiful aren't they?" The man behind the stall said. He was a Dalmatian with all sorts of dif colored soots adorned on his body. He wore a light blue shirt with a small white envelope embroidered on the left side. He stood with one arm leaned against the table. "You must be new area here

"Yeah," I said. "I'm Sol."

"Well, Sol, I'm Wilmore Waggs. You can call me Waggs. I work as a mailman," He extended his paw and I shook it. "It’s nice to see a new face around here. What brings you to our little villa?"

"Nothing particular, we just happened to come upon it."

He pointed his paw towards Hue, who was tucked under my arm. "Who's this little guy?"

"This is Hue." the brightly colored cat stared blankly at Waggs before letting his attention drift to the rest of the village.

With a smile, he nodded. "What do you think of the decorations? The flower festival will be starting tomorrow. We hold it every few months. It keeps the town lively."

So that's what all this was for. "I like it."

Waggs hummed as he reached over and picked one of the roses out of a cup. He held it out to me.

"I don't have any money."

Chuckled and shook his head. "Think of it as a welcoming gift."

"Oh, thank you," I said, taking it. It was a pretty flower. Soft too.

He tapped the table. "I'll be seeing you and your friends around. I hope enjoy our little festival."

He left with a nod and I rejoined the others. I showed them the rose and told them about the festival. We moved around the stalls slowly, taking in everything we could. Vincent did tell us to learn about this place after all.

"Do you think Vincent will let us participate?" I asked.

"Hopefully. I'm curious to see what it will be like," Ninety-one said.

"Hey, you!" a small voice shouted. Ahead of us where A

Quince was, there was a little short white mouse with a pink tail standing in front of her. She was wearing blue overalls and a pink shirt. "I haven't seen you before. Where are you from?"

Quince stammered as she introduced herself to the loud child. "My friends and I are just visiting."

"Why?" The child asked obnoxiously. "Aren't you afraid? "

"No? Why would I be?" Quince asked cautiously.

"There are monsters around here you know. If you aren't careful you get turned into one at night," The girl practically shouted. Everything went quiet as people turned to stare at the little girl.

"What do you mean?" Quince pressed.

"Wow, you really don't know anything," the girl said with a roll of her eyes. "Listen, just stick with me. I'll protect you so you don't get caught like the others."

"Mimi!" A woman's voice shouted. A blue elephant pushed through the crowd and grabbed the girl's hand. "What have I told you about talking to people like that? Please don't pay my daughter any mind."

The woman quickly pulled the child away before Quince could respond. Just as quickly as they stopped, everyone went back to what they were doing.

"Monster?" Zero-zero whispered from beside me. "That seems like something we should ask about."

"That was weird," Quince said when she rejoined us. "Are to believe a place like this has a monster in it."

"Maybe it doesn't," Ninety-one said. "She might have been making it up. Or playing a game. Kids do tend to make things up."

"I'm not sure about that," Zero-zero said. "If that were true, everyone wouldn't have reacted like that. We should stay together until we know what's going on."

"Hello, there," a voice called out. A deer in a black suit approached us. He was bright green with darker green leaves scattered over his limbs. "Sorry about all that. You know how children can be. Anyway, I'm Forester Evergreen, the mayor of this village. Who might you fine people be?"

We introduced ourselves. "What was that about a monster?"

Forester was taken aback by Zero-zero's question. "It’s just a little issue we’ve had over the last few months. Nothing to worry yourselves about."

"So the monster is real?" Quince asked, stepping towards him. "Tell us about it."

"Now, now. I assure you there's nothing to know," he said defensively. "How about instead, I can show you all around the villa for a bit. Help you get familiar with this place."

"Thank you, but we would like to know if we are in danger here or not," Ninety-one pressed.

"Now I assume you, one hundred percent, this village is completely safe," Forester assured with a confident smile.

"Mama!"

The scream ripped through the quiet of the air. It echoed for only a second before more screaming followed. From across the grassy field, people began to run. Fleeing from something we couldn't see. Ninety-one pulled me against him as the residents pushed past us. Some ran into the nearest shops and shut the doors. Others rushed between buildings to get as far as they could.

In minutes the town center was empty. On the other end was the mouse girl. She was cowering in the grass. I could hear her sobbing from here. Out from behind a building stepped a creature. It had several three sets of limbs. It walked in two of them. The others stuck out over its back and sides.

Purple, green, and yellow material twisted over the creature. Its body was a mismatch of sewn together fabrics clearly were once residents here. The face was a cluster of six eyes that sat over three mouths that were connected together into one mutilated maw. In it held the limp, torn remains of a blue elephant. What was once a person was now little more than shredded scraps and tangled threads. Lumps of white fluff fell to the ground as the creature lumbered forward toward the petrified girl.

“We need to do something,” Quince said. She turned towards the mayor. “What do we do?”

“Run before it gets us too,” the deer uttered fearfully. Whirling around, he ran. Rushing paused Vincent and Ashe who stood behind us.

“Coward,” Vincent hissed, watching him run. He quickly turned his focus to us. “Why are you standing around? We need to get out of sight.”

“What about the girl?” Ninety-one asked.

"We're not heroes. We don't save people," Vincent snapped. "Even if we did, none of us know how to stop it. You would just be wasting your time."

"She is a child! We can't just leave her to be killed by that thing!" Quince shouted.

"If you are willing to die in her place, then by all means go for it," Vincent sneered as he walked towards us. "But all of you need to understand that these things happen. There are horrible things in this world trying to kill us. If you try to save everyone you come across, you won't last long."

"It's cruel to just turn our backs on her," Quince begged.

"We live in the cruel world," Vincent said darkly. His black button moved over all of us. That's just something you have to live with."

I looked up when I felt Zero-zero tug my arm. He gazed down at me sadly. When he spoke, his voice was filled with remorse. "He's probably right."

"But-" Ninety-one's started. He sighed and moved to look back at the girl but stopped and nodded instead.

"We need to go. Now," Vincent ordered.

"No!" Quince protested. "We can at least-"

A scream cut through her words. Turning back, we saw that the creature had already grabbed the girl. It held her down with its forelegs. She shrieked as the beast opened its jaws and bit into her. In one swift motion, it ripped open her side. The tearing was heard from across the field. White stuffing laid scattered across the ground as the monster tore into the girl again. She sobbed miserably as it killed her.

I was pulled away by Zero-zero. He ushered Ninety-one one away as well. I forced myself to look away from the horrifying scene left only with a sick feeling. We'd watched a child die.

We moved quickly. Weaving between the buildings until we reached in that was yellow with white pinstripes. Vincent pushed open the door and stood by as we funneled inside. We stood at the entrance of an empty restaurant.

"I can't believe we stood by and let that happen," Quince sob. Her face was dry but it was clear that she was crying.

"There was nothing we could have done," Ashe said weakly. He set a hand on her but she swatted him away.

"We didn't even try!" Quince shouted. She turned away from us and sat at a table on the far side of the room.

"Let's rest for a minute," Ninety-one said gently. Zero-zero and I followed him to a table. I set Hye and the rainbow rose on the tabletop before sitting down. It was curious how those things stayed standing.

"What are we going to do now?" I asked, looking over at Vincent and Ashe.

"That beast wasn't around when we were last here," Vincent said, taking a seat at a nearby table. He set his duffle bag on the floor next to him. "The power around the village must be getting stronger."

"There was no sign that the core is close to collapse before we arrived," Ashe added. "Something like that would not have changed so quickly."

"Should we be worried?" Ninety-one asked.

"Of the core? No. But that creature does create an obstacle." Vincent reached into his bag and pulled out the sphere. "On the positive, the increase of energy means that we will leave sooner."

"You're awfully calm about this," Zero-zero noted.

"I've seen a lot in my time in Recall," Vincent said, looking over the sphere. "There are only so many things that can surprise you."

"We should leave," Ninety-one said.

Vincent didn't bother to look as he spoke. "We need to do this. We need to get the core. Even with the beast, this is the safest place around. We have to make absolutely sure that we- Sol is able to get the core."

"It's too dangerous," Zero-zero argued.

"Things are only going to get worse," Vincent said. His eyes were still on the sphere. His face reflected off of it. "With the core, we'll know we have a chance in making somewhere that will truly be safe for us."

I stared at the rose on the table. He was right. Nowhere was safe. Even a place like this had something that would try to kill us. The only places that weren't were controlled by people who wanted to ruin them.

"How long will it take for us to get the core?" I asked.

Vincent looked up. "A few days. I can't know for sure. But if we are able to find the source, that will speed things up."

This place wasn't Coal Grove. There was no tree here. Maybe, now that I know more about how to use a core's magic, I'll control it better. And if I succeed then the problem will be solved. I can put everything back and everyone in the village can go back to normal.

"I want to try to get the core, " I said. "That way we won't have to get near the monster in order to get rid of it."

"Are you sure?" Ninety-one asked.

I nodded at him. "It's the reason we came here anyway. If this is the easiest way I can get a core, I want to do what I can."

"That still doesn't change the fact that there is a creature out there that is capable of tearing us apart," Zero-zero said.

"What about my cards?" I said. "With the runestone, I can throw them pretty hard. That thing is still a stuffed animal, maybe they can hurt it?"

"It might be worth a try," Ashe said.

"We're not going to go looking for it, are we?" Ninety-one asked worriedly.

"No," Vincent assured him. "We'll avoid it as best we can. No need to put ourselves in danger. The problem comes with where it came from."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"That girl did mention that monster came from missing people," Zero-zero said thoughtfully.

Vincent turned back to the sphere. "Until we have a clear idea of what's going on, none of us should be alone."


	4. Chapter 4

We left the restaurant once we noticed people walking outside of the building. We followed them as they headed back into the town's center. The beast was gone. The mouse girl and her mother's remains were nowhere to be seen. White scraps of cotton that rolled in the breeze were the only reminder of what happened. Even those were overlooked as the residents stepped over them as they returned to their decorating.

Vases that had fallen from toppled over stalls were picked up and returned to their places. Ladders were set back up to hang ropes lined with flowers. Children were given what looked to be candy before running off to play. Everything had quickly returned to normal.

"What's wrong with these people?" Quince hissed through her beak, disdain soaking her voice.

"That's just how the core makes them act," Ashe said gently. "They can't help it any more than we can."

"It is another thing you will have to get accustomed to," Vincent said. "Rhyme and reason isn’t always something you can rely on in places like this. There are times where you will need to adapt to the version of reality you are given.”

We watched the villagers for a while as they went about their tasks. Their dead were already forgotten. No one cared. No one even grieved. Every one of them looked just as content with themselves as they were when we arrived. Were the people here so easily forgotten by their neighbors? How often had these attacks happen that they were able to brush it off so easily?

"Hello there," a voice called out. Looking over, we saw that the green deer mayor was approaching us happily, with a familiar brown bear following behind him. "Sorry about all that. I'm glad to see you all are alright."

"We are," Quince hissed bitterly. With her button eyes, it was hard to tell, but I was sure she was glaring at them.

Forester cleared his throat awkwardly before forcing a smile. "Yes, well, Anyway. Ms. Twist has something for you folks."

With a vibrant grin, she walked up and held out a basket with a thin red and white checkered cloth over it. Vincent eyes it suspiciously. "What is it for?"

"Just a gift, as to welcome you back and as an official greeting to the friends you’ve brought with you," Twist said sweetly. “It isn’t every day we get new people in. I’m just so excited to see new faces.”

"Thank you, ma'am," Ashe said politely while taking the basket.

"Oh, it's no problem. And you’re free to call me Twist. Ma’am is too formal. We're all friends here after all." Calling us friends was a huge assumption but no one corrected her. "I must say it is great to see you both back here. It has been too long."

Reaching out with a large grey paw, Ninety-one lifted the cloth to look inside the basket. Reaching in, he pulled out a cookie. I stepped closer to get a better look at it. The cookie appeared to be chocolate chip, but it was hard to tell with it being a toy and all. When did she prepare this? While everyone was hiding from the beast or was it after we first met her?

“I made them myself,” Twist announced proudly. “Go on, try it. I promise it will be to your liking.”

Ninety-one hesitantly brought the cookie to his mouth and took a bite out of it. Surprisingly, it broke apart just like a real one would. He pulled it back and gazed down at the treat. Stringy white fluff hung out of the remainder of the cookie. It looked too much like what was still floating around the field.

“What do you think?” Twist asked expectantly.

“It’s good. Very well made,” Ninety-one told her, though not moving to finish the cookie. Twist smiled gleefully.

“Anyway, how long have you had this monster problem?” Vincent asked. The mood immediately darkened.

“Oh, um, for a few months now,” Forester answered.

“Do you know what’s causing them to appear? Or where they are coming from?” Vincent pressed.

The mayor scratched the back of his head with unease. “No. But It isn’t like we can ask them. And we don’t want to put anyone in danger by going out and searching for them. Besides, they only show up every couple of weeks anyway.”

“So you’d rather ignore it and hope that the issue goes away,” Vincent remarked, his voice filled with judgment. Both Twist and Forester looked embarrassed for themselves.

“It isn’t that simple,” Forester started.

“If you and your people want to continue on with your celebration despite the danger, who am I to judge? It is your people that are getting hurt,” Vincent said as he looked over the village.

“The festival brings hope and happiness to everyone,” Twist insisted. “Letting anything stand in the way of that would only make everyone upset.”

Vincent said nothing in response to that.

“How many of you have the creature taken?” Ashe asked.

“Um, well,” Twist began.

“You see, keeping track of something so heartbreaking-”

“You don’t know!” Quince shouted, cutting Forester off. He and Twist flinched at the rage in her voice.

“We should go now,” Vincent spoke. “My friends want to get a look around your village.”

“Uh, okay,” Forester said softly. "Stay safe."

We followed the brick-like pattern in the ground as we made our way around. Aside from the decorations for the festival, there wasn't much to see. Outside of the center where the shops were housed, the rest of the village was just filled with simple homes. All of them in the same mismatched patterns and colors. Whoever built this place must have been using whatever has been laying around.

How was this place made?

We found a schoolhouse. It was the largest of any building, with it being twice as wide. It was a bright yellow building with pink and white flowers as a pattern. Outside of the school sat a small playscape that was currently occupied by children. There weren't any adults around.

There wasn't anyone moving about the village. I guess that meant that everyone was busy setting up for the festival. Was it really that important? Even enough to ignore that two people had been killed not even two hours earlier? Even if it was just how the core was making them act, they could have at least looked nervous about the monster coming back.

That was probably why Twist and the mayor couldn't remember exactly who had been killed. They were too relaxed to keep themselves hidden and safe. Who long would it be until someone else was next?

The last thing we did was a circle around the outside of the village. I kept my eyes out towards the hills around us. Like the village, there were parts of the landscape that looked to be sewn in patches. This place was odd but it was peaceful. For the most part.

My gaze drifted to the sky, were lumpy clouds sat. Off-white stitch work made swirls in them. I had been so distracted by being turned into a stuffed toy that I hadn't noticed that the entire sky looked like cloth. The sun was just a circle made of checkered yellow and light orange material. It wasn’t even bright.

I walked with Hue held under my arm. In that same hand- paw I held the rainbow rose. With my other, I fiddled with my rabbit ear. It was so strange. Back in Heita, my skin had turned blue because of the core’s power. It had been weird enough back then, walking around with people who had pink, yellow, and bright white skin. This was nothing in comparison.

How many places would we visit like this? What kind of things would I get changed into?

We didn't find anything, so Vincent took us to a house that he and Ashe arranged for us to stay in. It was purple on the outside with a white roof. The front room had a large blue couch. This place didn't look vacant. Pictures of people were hung on the walls. Decorative flowers sat in vases in the living room and kitchen.

In the small kitchen, there was a refrigerator that had food inside. It was all cakes, pies and other desserts. Not something a person would leave if they just moved out. Why was it only sweets?

When the realization hit me, I felt sick. They'd given us a dead person's home to sleep in. Of course.

"Are we really staying here?" Zero-zero asked, frowning at the surroundings. Ninety-one looked equally put off by sleeping here.

"You are," Vincent said. "Ashe and I are staying a few houses down."

"It’s the best we have aside from sleeping outside," Ashe told him. "This place doesn't have a hotel."

"We're going to look around outside the village tomorrow," Vincent announced. "That creature may be hiding out there somewhere. We'll come to get you in the morning. For now, get some rest."

That was easier said than done. It was hard to get settled in a house you knew belonged to a dead person. Ninety-one and Zero-zero were sharing a room, while Quince and I each got our own. I set my backpack on the floor by the bed and Hue next to it. I watched as Hue waddled around the floor. He wasn't used to his new legs yet since I had been carrying him around all day.

I sat on the bed and turned the rainbow rose in my paws. The flower, the bed, the walls, even the ground, all of it was the same soft material as my body. That monster. It was made of the same things too, and yet it was able to tear us apart as if it was made of something stronger.

It had to be the core making it stronger. But why did it have to do it to something like that? Why couldn’t it just make it so regular animals were toys, like how Hue was. He did seem to be the only actual animal around. Or, I didn't know, something not murderous. This village made me appreciate Lucky Coin more.

I touched my teeth. They were just as soft as my oversized paw. No strong teeth. I fiddled with them for a bit, fascinated by the odd feeling. I gently tugged at them as I reached to the floor and pulled the backpack on the bed. The zipper was a pain to deal with now that it wasn't metal. Once I finally got it open, I pulled out the case of poker cards. Unsurprisingly, they were soft fabric too. As were the cards. I didn't understand how they maintained their shape.

I looked to the windows on the far wall. It didn't look quite like glass should. Going over to it, I touched it. I immediately drew my hand back. It felt soft. I leaned in to get a closer look. It was hard to see since it was transparent, but the window was also made of soft fabric.

I looked at the center of the room, where an overhead light shined brightly. It had to be fabric too, so how did it work? How did this place have electricity? None of this made sense. How did food work? How was it made? Where did the ingredients come from? How did the flowers grow? How were the people here even born?

I had so many questions about how this place came to be but had no way to get answers. Not right now anyway. Shaking my head, I returned to sit on the bed. Reaching into the bag again, I took out the runestone. It hadn't changed at all. I didn't know how to feel about that. Regardless, I spread a few cards on the bed and gripped the stone with both paws. I had nothing better to do, so I might as well get some practice in.


	5. Chapter 5

Despite never eating besides breakfast the day before, none of us felt hungry. Which was good, because I wasn’t sure I could handle eating the food here. No one had touched Twist’s cookies. That wasn’t to mention that the house didn’t have any bathrooms. So after it got dark, we all went to bed.

It was deep into the night when I was awoken by Hue stepping on him. Even as a stuffed toy it was still uncomfortable when he did that. Rolling to my side, I watched as he crouched on the end of the bed and jumped towards the window sill.

He missed and fell to the floor. That didn't stop him from trying to jump up. Sighing, I pushed the sheets off and stood to pick him up. While setting him on the small ledge I looked out at the dark village. If this body had a heart, it would have stopped.

From across the street, in the shadow of an alley, was the misshapen form of a monster. Hue growled as it stepped into the road. It was smaller than the one from yesterday. Its head was made of two faces that had been sewn on sideways, creating a vertical mouth out of the upper jaws. Its tongue hung limply from its agape mouth. Both faces were made of blue and white patching as if it was made on guesswork.

The body was like a thick pillar. It stood on four stocky legs and had two long white limbs that dangled awkwardly. It lumbered forward, each step making it appear as if it was always on the verge of falling over.

I grabbed Hue and sprinted out of the room. Theo the door open, I shouted into the dark house. "There's a monster outside! Everyone get up!"

I rushed to Ninety-one and Zero-zero's room. They had already been startled away by my shouting. When I reached the bed Zero-zero was already getting to his feet.

"There's a monster, a different one, outside," I explained.

"What should we do?" Ninety-one asked as he moved to stand next to me. He placed a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Maybe we can fight it." We looked towards the door where Quince was standing.

"We don't know anything about it to take that risk," Zero-zero told her.

"Do you have a better idea?" she challenged.

"We need to sit here and wait," Zero-zero said. "There's a chance that it will move on."

"And what if it doesn't?" Quince asked.

"Attacking is easier said than done. We don't have any weapons," Zero-zero reminded her.

She was quiet for a moment, thinking. "Sol's cards."

"How do you know about that?" Ninety-one asked.

"I was in the room when you were talking about them,” She said, sounding offended. “Just because I’m across the room doesn't mean I can’t hear.”

"Regardless, that was a private conversation," Zero-zero said.

Quince shook her head. "It isn't fair that I'm left out of things like that. I'm part of this group too. I want to help but I can't if everyone is keeping secrets from me."

"That's not an excuse," Zero-zero scolded. "It isn't your business to know-"

Ninety-one stopped him with a hand to his arm. "We weren't trying to leave you out. But you have to understand that this is sensitive and we're not comfortable with anyone knowing."

"But I already know Sol has powers. I was there in Burilmont and inside the tunnels. I've seen what they can do." She directed a winged arm towards Hue. "I know he's a dragon and a familiar. I know about the Colonizers. What's the point of keeping what powers they have from me when I already know about most of it?"

The bedroom was quiet. She had a point, though my issue was never about her knowing.

"The cards are toys like everything else here," I said. "They won't work against it anyway."

"Oh," was all she said.

With no other options, we waited in the bedroom. I laid across the foot of the bed while Quince sat on the floor next to me. At one point Zero-zero walked around the house to see if he could find anything. There was no monster. We waited in there until sunrise anyway.

I'd fallen asleep only to be woken up when Vincent and Ashe arrived. We sat in the living room as I told them about the creature and what it looked like.

"We might need to barricade the doors and windows. Just to be safe," Ashe suggested.

"Everything is made of the same soft material," Vincent reminded him. "Such efforts will be in vain."

"What do you suggest we do then?" Zero-zero asked.

"The sooner we can get the core, the sooner we can leave," Vincent said.

"We might need to barricade the doors and windows. Just to be safe," Ashe suggested.

"Everything is made of the same soft material," Vincent reminded him. "Such efforts will be in vain."

"What do you suggest we do then?" Zero-zero asked.

"The sooner we can get the core, the sooner we can leave," Vincent said.

"You said that could take days," Ninety-one argued.

"Locating the core will speed it up," Vincent spoke. He had his duffle bag with him. Opening it, he pulled out the cosmic sphere. He then walked up and handed it to me. "With this in mind, I want you to keep hold of this for the rest of the day."

"Why?" I asked, taking it. I turned the clear ball over in my paws.

"Who knows, it might collect the energy faster in your hands," Vincent said casually. "Anyway, let's see if we can find anything where you daw this creature."

The sounds of the flower festival were audible as we left the house. The area between the homes was less unnerving in the morning light. There wasn't much to see. There weren’t any balls of white fluff or scraps of fabric anyway. The ground was flat with no scratches or scuffs.

Vincent led us down the alley where we reached a junction between four houses. Two were facing behind us, the others facing forward. The sun was still low and hadn't reached above the buildings yet, casting this part of the alley in a dim shadow. The bright colors of the homes looked muted. We stayed between the two rows of houses, following the alley until we reached an opening that led to the road.

From here we could see the festival. Stalls were packed with vases of flowers or rows of desserts sitting on plates. Those not manning a stall were milling around picking up items. There was a group near the edge of the field that mostly consisted of children. They looked to be weaving small flowers into a circle. Many of the citizens wore the flower rings on their hands.

"What now?" Quince asked.

"These creatures have me curious," Vincent said. "I want to know what they disappeared to and how they are created."

"Does it matter?" Zero-zero asked.

"No, but it will be something to do while we wait for the sphere to gather energy," Vincent said while looking over the festival.

"Can we stay for a while?" Ninety-one asked. "Just to sit and watch."

Vincent looked towards the sphere in my paws. "If you'd like. We have time to kill anyway."

We found a spot at the end of the small field where there weren't as many people. There wasn't much to the flower festival but the villagers were enjoying themselves. Everyone was smiling and happily talking with each other as they went around collecting different types of flowers.

From across the field, I saw the rainbow spotted dog from yesterday. Seeing me, he waved. I waved back. A horse with a purple and white diamond design approached our group and gave each of us the rings made of flowers. Everyone but Vincent placed them on our heads.

"I'm going to get some flowers," Quince said, getting to her feet.

“This wouldn’t be a bad place to live,” Ninety-one said.

“You think?” Zero-zero asked.

“I mean, without those creatures, it wouldn’t be so bad. The people are friendly and it is safer than any other places we’ve been to,” Ninety-one explained.

“This place has nothing,” Vincent spoke. “It may seem nice now, but what about later? Ignoring that living as an oversized child’s toy would drive most people to madness. These people are childish with no worries or concerns. Admittedly, they’ve changed a bit now that the attacks are happening, but you see how easily they brush something like that off. They don’t feel emotions like we do. Being surrounded by beings like that won't bode well in the long term.”

“Finding homes for everyone would be an issue too,” Ashe added, his tone much lighter. “I’m not sure how the buildings are made, but it doesn't look like something we’d be able to replicate if needed.”

Ninety-one only hummed an acknowledgment.

“If we get the core and seal its power. Is there a chance that this place will be normal?” Zero-zero asked.

“Perhaps, but don’t hold too much hope for that,” Vincent said.

The sphere sat in my lap unchanged. I knew I couldn't take all of the core’s magic and turn it into a runestone like Gold. But maybe, if I pulled in enough of it into the sphere, I could do something similar. Maybe just enough so that the power didn’t affect the world so much.

Gripping the sphere with my hands, I tried to feel for the energy in the air. With all the noise around us, it was hard to concentrate but I could feel it, though faintly. It was different than any other time I’ve felt it. Before it was always in one place, now it was all around me, like dust floating through the air. I pictured them being drawn into the sphere.

It was odd, feeling the core’s power like this. Having it buzz around me for this long. It made my skin itch, but not in an uncomfortable way. It was rather relaxing, even to the point of having the sounds around me fade away. I was beginning to lose myself in it. Until the buzzing got stronger, agitated. The itching got worse.

I was yanked back into reality when I was lifted off the ground. Someone had me in their arms and carried me away. Looking up, I saw that it was Zero-zero who picked me up. He pulled me to the shadow of a nearby building, were the others were gathered.

“Are you okay?” Ninety-one asked frantically, his hands on my face.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I was just trying to use the sphere.” He and Zero-zero gave me confused but quick looks. “Did something happen?”

“Your monster from last night appeared,” Vincent said. He was gazing at the sphere in my grasp. Looking it over, I was disappointed that it hadn’t changed. Maybe I wasn’t doing it right.

Hearing a thud, I looked out into the field. Sure enough, the monster from the night before was there. It lumbered drunkenly across the field stumbling into stalls and low-hanging flower ropes as it went. Unlike the last one, it wasn’t giving chase, indeed giving the appearance of a lost animal. That didn’t stop everyone from clearing the area.

Everyone but Quince. She was creeping up behind the monster. Crouching low, she took hold of the rope that was loosely caught around one of its legs.

“What is she doing?” Ninety-one asked worriedly.

Getting to her feet, Quince pulled on the rope. The monster’s leg snapped back, causing it to stumble forward. However, it didn’t fall. Moving on its other three legs, it turned, mouth snapped as it leaned towards the rope. Frowning, Quince planted her feet and pulled again. This time the monster fell on its face.

Smiling to herself, Quince rushed forward. She pulled the rope around the creature's head. Thrashing, it snapped at her, its teeth catching the ends of a few feathers, sending small clumps of fluff falling to the grass. Quince stepped back and looked over the wound. It continued to lunge for her but only managed to sink its teeth into the rope.

Taking the chance, she moved forward again, this time looping the rope around the creature’s mouth, forcing it closed. The monster struggled as Quince wound the rope and tied it. It thrashed around in an attempt to free itself. The monster's limp arms hit against the ground. They weren’t able to lift it off the ground, which left it nothing to do but to wiggle on the ground uselessly.

“She actually did it,” Ashe said, impressed.

“Yes, she did,” Vincent spoke. His voice was stiff like he was biting back what he really wanted to say.

A chorus of cheers rang through the village and people emerged from their hiding places. They created a circle around Quince and the creature. Works of thanks and praise filled the air. at the center, I could see Quince relishing in it all. Her plush bird beak was turned in a wide smile. At the front of the crowd stood the mayor who waved Quince towards him, refusing to step closer to the monster. She eagerly approached him.

“Thank you! Thank you,” he spoke, his voice louder than any of the others. “Let's get you to the doctor and get you fixed up. And afterward, we will throw a celebration. A party, in thanks and in honor of your bravery!”

A roar of cheers and excitement moved through the crowd.

“You don’t seem happy,” Zero-zero commented.

“Blatant recklessness should never be praised,” Vincent grunted out.


	6. Chapter 6

Quince had been taken to the village's clinic to get her wounds stitched up. In the meantime, the monster had been left struggling on the ground. I could see it from where our group stood outside the clinic. None of the villagers wanted to move it. This also meant they weren't going to hold Quince's celebration in the clearing either. Instead, it would be held in the area around the schoolhouse. The villagers were already over there setting up.

"What are they going to do with it?" I asked. When Quince was talking about fighting the monsters, I didn't believe she would actually try to attack one. On her own no less.

"I doubt they intend to kill it," Vincent remarked. "They'll probably try to get Quince to deal with it."

"Do you think she can?" Ninety-one asked.

"Outside of choking it to death, no," he said. I wasn't sure that thing could breathe.

"What should we do about it?" Ashe asked. "We can just leave it."

"It is an issue Quince created for herself and one she will solve on her own."

There wasn't much to say to that. Was he really that upset that she took the risk by capturing the monster? With it out of the way that just made things easier for us. That's what I thought anyway.

When Quince was eventually released from the teal and white building, she still had a large smile on her face. A few of the feathers on her right arm were missing a few inches and now ended in a sharp line.

"Do you think it will leave a scar when I turn back to normal?" She asked light-heartedly.

"It would serve as a reminder not to do it again," Vincent said coldly.

Quince frowned. "Do what, help people?"

"You went against what I told you and put yourself in unnecessary danger," Vincent scolded.

"I saved someone's life today," she argued.

"Against something that could barely move without tripping over itself. If it would have been the larger one, you'd be dead."

"But it wasn't!"

"I told you before, Recall is no place for heroes. We don't have the time or the resources to help everyone we come across," Vincent continued.

"We were sitting around doing nothing!" she shot back. "We have nothing to do but wait until that stupid ball decides it's done to collect magic or whatever. And we might have a chance of getting the core, that’s only if Sol manages to use it. Something we don't even know that will work. They've already failed at it three times already."

"Hey-" Ninety-one started.

"And what have you accomplished?" Vincent hissed at her. "The beast still sits in the middle of the village. Are you going to kill it or let it writhe there until it escapes and rampages again? What if the other one shows up? The villagers see you as their savior now, will you risk yourself fighting that one disappoint them by letting it do what it wants? What if an even larger, more aggressive one appears, one that you can't fight on your own? Do you intend to drag us into your recklessness? The villagers won't assist you, so what is your plan for next time?"

Quince opened her mouth but hesitated before speaking. "I'll think of something."

"You do that," Vincent said dismissively. He gestured for us to follow him.

"Did you need to be that harsh?" Ninety-one asked once we were well away from Quince. "She did genuinely want to help."

Ashe shook his head. "Regardless of her intentions, she put herself in danger. I've lost too many people to similar ideals. You all have to understand that there isn't a way to help. Not in the long term. Whatever those creative come from, there are more. We don’t know what kinds of things they will be capable of. What Quince did put her in a situation of expectation. As Vincent said, the people will be expecting her to do it again."

"Are we really going to leave her alone if she does?" Ninety-one asked.

"She needs to believe we won't, otherwise it'll only encourage her to do it again," Vincent said coldly. “Regardless of Quince’s thoughts on the subject, I am confident that using the sphere is our best chance of success. Speaking of which, Sol you mentioned that you were gathering the energy into the sphere yourself, correct?”

“I’m pretty sure. That’s what it felt like at least,” I answered. The sphere hadn’t changed so I couldn’t be sure if it was actually working.

“Good. I want you to work on that for the rest of the day at least. If you need to rest, do so. Oscar, Nicholas, I want both of you to help me and Ashe to look through the houses around here.”

“What are we looking for?” Ninety-one asked.

"Clues as to why these creatures are attacking people."

"What makes you think there's a reason," Zero-zero asked.

"There may not be one, but I would rather make sure."

"Will you be alright on your own?" Ninety-one asked me.

I nodded. "I'll be fine."

I sat alone in the house. The sphere was in my lap and Hue was stretched out on the couch next to me. I stared at the ceiling, procrastinating. The sooner I got this done the sooner we could leave, but I couldn't help but think about what Quince was done.

She put herself in danger to try and save people even after Vincent said this place is a lost cause. She's never come across as someone who would risk herself to help others. In Burilmont, she was willing to hurt others to get what she wanted. What made this place different? Did she feel the same about Coal Grove or was it only here?

I could ask her later but what would knowing help, it wouldn't solve anything.

Sighing, I held the sphere above my head. I looked at the pale colors of the walls as they were twisted and turned inside the sphere.

"I hate this," I said to myself. I wanted to go back to Burilmont.

For no reason other than impulse, I moved off the couch to sit on the floor. Holding the sphere with both hands, I closed my eyes. I felt for the magic in the air. It was easier now that I knew what I was looking for. But that didn't make drawing it in any easier. The burning feeling wasn't as strong this time. Is it because I was inside now? Or that I'm further from the core here?

The thoughts fizzled from my head as I began to get lost in the feeling of the core’s energy. If anything, I was glad it was relaxing. I drifted there, immersed in a feeling similar to falling asleep, reaching out to the magic around me. I pulled it in, forcing it to crowd around me, and funneled it into the sphere.

Like before time passed without me realizing it. And again I was pulled back by someone else. This time it was by Ninety-one who was touching my shoulder. Blinking, I looked at him. He was kneeling in front of me, his expression was of reserved worry.

"Is everything okay?" I asked. Did they find something?

"Yes, I was just making sure you were fine. We've been back for a while now and you haven't moved. Vincent wanted us to leave you, but it's getting dark and-" he trailed off. It's really been that long? Looking around, I saw Zero-zero standing a bit away. He also looked concerned. "Why were you on the floor?"

"I just felt like sitting here," I told him. With everything being soft and plush, it wasn’t any more comfortable than the couch. I set the sphere next to me and stretched. My limbs felt a little stiff but not as bad as I'd think after staying still for so long. "How did everything go?"

"We didn't find anything," Zero-zero remarked. "So we're back to square one. Thankfully Vincent isn't having us look through more dead peoples' things."

I stood from the floor and picked up the sphere. There was little change but I was able to see the faint ghost of a rune on it. Although it wasn’t enough to make it out, I was proud of the progress.

"How's that coming along?" Zero-zero asked.

"Good, I think. I don't know how long it will take for me to be done," I answered.

"Well, take a break for now," Ninety-one said gently. "You've got to be tired after doing that for so long."

"I feel okay," I said with a shrug. "It almost feels like sleeping, so it doesn't tire me out."

"You should rest anyway. You've just learned to do it, you don't know how it affects you yet," Zero-zero suggested. I nodded. I wanted to keep going but he was probably right. "What is it like? Collecting the core’s power. How do you do it?"

"When I'm focusing on the sphere, I can feel the magic around me. In the air, the ground, everything. And I kind of pull it towards me. It's hard. I can stay focused because the feeling makes it hard to think, so I'm not really sure if I'm doing it properly, but it's the best I can manage right now."

"I was curious. You don't really talk about what it's like for you to use magic," Zero-zero said.

I shrugged. "Usually bad things happen when I have anything to do with the cores."

The living room was quiet as I stared at the sphere in my hands. I hadn't done much, but at least I wasn't getting anyone hurt. Maybe this time, I could end up helping someone.

"Sol-" Ninety-one started, he was cut off by the door opening.

It was Quince who stepped through. She wore several flower necklaces around her neck and a smaller one in her head. She had a thoughtful look on her face that turned to slight confusion when she saw us. "What?"

"Nothing, we were just talking," Zero-zero said before turning to me. "Try to get some real sleep later, just to be sure that you're rested."

"Okay," I said quietly.

"How was your party?" Ninety-one asked Quince.

"It was fun," she said, voice restrained. "I got a few people to volunteer to help me patrol the town tomorrow. The cop here is going to lead one team while I lead the other."

"This place as a police force?" Zero-zero asked skeptically.

"One. There is only one cop. A horse named officer Clipclop." Zero-zero snickered, failing to suppress his laughter as much as Ninety-one. "Anyway, I'm going to bed."

"Goodnight," Ninety-one called after her. Quince muttered a response.

"You should go lay down too, Sol," Zero-zero said.

I only don't as I lifted Hue off the couch and carried him to the room. I still wasn't tired, so all I did was lay in the bed and stare at the wall. I was on my side, rolling the sphere, trying to make sense of the faint markings on it. It looked slightly distorted, like warped glass, but when I touched it the surface felt just as smooth as the rest of it.

Closing my eyes, I felt for the magic that was inside it. Unlike this morning, I was able to feel something this time. It was faint but still there, and stronger than what hung in the air. My head was starting to get cloudy. I pulled myself from it before I could sink deeper into the feeling. It was nice, but I'd already missed enough hours of the day. It was odd. Morning only felt like a short time away for me.

There was a muffled knock on the door. Sitting up, I called for whoever it was to come in. To my surprise, it was Quince. She closed the door behind herself before speaking. "I need your help."

"With what?" I asked.

"With this whole monster thing," she said, sounding frustrated. "There's no way these people can protect themselves, but I think there's a way we can help."

"I can't," I told her, not wanting to get pulled into her plans.

She frowned at that. "You mean you don't want to or you're too tired."

"Vincent specifically said not to help you," I clarified.

"He doesn't have to know."

"There's no way to hide it." The village wasn’t that large. Sneaking around wasn’t an option, especially not with everyone expecting me to work on the sphere.

"Not if we leave tonight." I was about to protest but she cut me off. "Just hear me out first."

I nodded.

"Good. Okay, so, I was thinking. The monsters are made by the core’s magic. So that must mean that there's a lot of it in them, right?"

"I guess," I said slowly.

"Maybe you can use that magic to control it, like what you do with the cards," she said hopefully.

I shook my head. "Without the rune, I can't do anything. Even with it, I don't know who this core's power works. I'm still struggling to use the cards and I've had weeks of practice. I'm still new to this core’s power. I'm barely managing to collect the magic into the sphere."

"Oh. Okay," she said quietly. Her gaze became distant, as she became lost in her own thoughts. "What if you take the magic from the monster I caught?"

"What?"

"The core’s magic made it, that means you can take what’s inside of it. It might even kill the monster if you do."

"I don't know if it works like that," I told her.

"But we can try," she pressed. "The monster is tied up and can't do anything. If we go now we can see if it works without anyone hovering over us."

"You mean Vincent."

Quince scoffed and sat on the bed. "If this works it will give us a permanent solution for the monsters and help you with the sphere."

"Maybe, but going now is still dangerous. What if the other monster shows up or a different one?"

"I walked all the way here and didn't see anything. It isn’t even completely dark yet, if we hurry we'll be there and back within an hour, maybe less."

"I- I don't know," I said hesitantly. "I guess it could work. I'll think about it. But if I do this, it will be in the morning, not tonight."

"Fine, fine. Okay," Quince said, standing. "Tomorrow, then."

As she left the room, a wave of anxiety and annoyance washed over me. I'd let myself get dragged into another one of the plans. Even after Vincent said not to. No, I didn't completely agree with anything. I could work this out. Or at least ask for advice. Maybe I’ll get her to tell the others in the morning. It wasn’t like we would be able to keep it a secret anyway.

Sighing, I got up and turned off the room's light. Returning to the bed I tucked myself under the sheets. I wasn't sleepy but was tired enough to want to lay down. Eventually, I was able to get some sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

When I got up the next morning, Quince was waiting for me outside my door. She was almost embarrassed when I gave her a confused look. How long had she been waiting for me? I didn’t ask out loud.

“I didn’t get much sleep. There was a lot to think about,” she said sheepishly “Anyway, are you ready to go?”

“Yes, but I want to tell the others first.”

“Why?”

“This isn’t something we can hide. They are going to wonder where we went and want to know why,” I told her. “Vincent’s already upset with you, won’t this make it worse?”

“I guess,” she said, folding her arms. “I don’t get why he was mad yesterday. I was helping No one got hurt.”

I shrugged. “He made it sound like he’s had people get killed for ‘trying to help’. But maybe your idea will change his mind, about this at least.”

“No.” Vincent’s tone was absolute. He watched Quince with a cold gaze that he moved towards me. “I was clear when I said that anything she did going forward would be on her own.”

I looked away.

"The villagers are gathering for your patrols," Vincent continued "It would look bad if their 'hero' was late to meet them."

Quince frowned. She looked ready to respond but decided to leave instead.

"Was that necessary?" Zero-zero asked.

"She needs to understand that her behavior will not be tolerated," Vincent said plainly. "She may be an adult but she is still young and new to how the world works. There's a reason most of the members in Recall are older. They are jaded, it helps keep them out of trouble."

"There's Opal," I added softly, remembering the brightly haired teen. I haven't seen much of her since I started working in the garden.

"Yes, and we keep her in the Train for a reason," Vincent said, not unkindly. "She also happens to be a knowledgeable mechanic. Anyway, regarding Quince's idea of taking the creature's energy. Sol, will you be able to do it?"

"I thought you didn't like her plan?" Zero-zero asked.

"I think it will be an intriguing idea and one that we should take the time to test out. I don't approve of her disobeying me about getting our assistance."

"You all haven't been on any exploration missions so it hasn't come up. Normally, we have to keep things strict and by the book," Ashe explained. "Everyone has their duties and know that they must stick to them. When on missions we avoid getting sidetracked, even if it is at the expense of the residents in the area. It's how we've always done things."

"It is how we keep people alive. And unless Quince wants to remain on the Train, she will learn to adhere to it," Vincent finished.

"This is news to us," Zero-zero said, crossing his arms.

"None of you have ever been a problem," Vincent responded.

"This is still something that should have been discussed beforehand," Zero-zero pressed.

"We were saving it until you got settled," Ashe said.

Zero-zero frowned. "We've been with Recall for nearly three months."

"We've had people take twice as long. Everyone comes from different circumstances. Knowing when they have adjusted enough to be knowingly thrown into dangerous situations is hard. You've been forced to flee your homes multiple times. I didn't want to push any of you," Vincent explained. "Sol's situation is a very unique one as well. I want you to be safe."

Ninety-one nodded. "We appreciate the consideration."

Vincent took a breath. "When we get back, I will explain our rules in detail. And if you'd like, I can set up an expedition that will mirror the ones we normally take. Other members of my team, a few that you've already met, will be there as well. It will take place in an area that is as safe as we can find. That is as close as I can come to training you."

Zero-zero looked at me and Ninety-one. "I'm fine with that if you two are."

"It will need to happen sooner or later," Ninety-one said.

I was hesitant about the idea. This place was supposed to be safe but it had monsters that tore people apart. Lucky Coin was supposed to be safe and they had people being forced to work in casinos. What would the next step up from that mean? What will we have to face?

"Okay," was all I said.

Vincent nodded, his gaze lingering on me. "For today, let's see about getting rid of that monster."

There was a crowd gathered near the schoolhouse. Vincent took the lead as we made our way to the front. Sitting in the playscape where the monster should have been tied up, were nothing fallen flowers. The monster and the ropes that held it were gone.

"It escaped," some muttered fearfully.

"What do we do?" Another asked.

"There isn't anything we can do."

"What about Quince? She caught it the first time."

"Yesh, she can do it again."

All eyes moved to Quince. She stood over the flowers. They lay on the sand-colored ground, intact. She stared at the ground, frowning. An orange horse with a white horseshoe pattern stepped from the muttering crowd. He wore a bright blue police uniform. He carefully made his way up to Quince and spoke quietly to her.

She raised her wing to her mouth as she thought to herself. After a moment she turned and spoke. "Everyone, I need you to go back home and stay there for at least the rest of the day."

"But what about my shop?" A purple cat man asked.

"What about lessons?" A white horse with a short pointed horn on her forehand and a dark, glittery mane said. "My students need to learn while they're still young."

"I don't want to stay home all day!" a sheep child whined loudly.

"Yeah, we wanna play outside!" an identical sheep kid said. A third one cheered in agreement.

"We can just stay inside all day," an adult complained.

The air filled with similar reservations. The noise only grew louder as everyone began to speak over each other. Quince pressed her beak together hard enough that the fabrics of it began to wrinkle. She wasn’t taking the whining well. Next to me, Vincent made a noise of amusement.

"Okay!" Quince shouted. Everyone went silent. "This is to keep you safe. But if you really want to stay out, fine. If any of you decide not to stay in your homes, are required to help me search for the monster. Got it?"

"Any volunteers?" Officer Clipclop asked sheepishly.

An anxiously quiet fell over everyone. People turned their gaze from Quince, not wanting to meet her eyes as she looked over the villagers. Slowly, people began to leave. The crowd shrunk until only four villagers, Clipclop included, remained. The others were Waggs, Mayor Forester, and a bright red bird with colorful feathers that I didn't recognize.

"This isn’t too bad," Forester said nervously as he looked over everyone. "Ten people isn't too bad."

"We won't be helping you," Vincent said. Both Forester and Clipclop's faces fell.

"May I ask why?" Clipclop asked.

"This is Quince's project," Vincent said dismissively.

"We don't need their help anyway," Quince said, almost bitterly. She turned to the others. "Come on, we need to search for clues."

The bird and Waggs gave us passing glances as they followed Quince. They all looked nervous. Vincent watched their backs thoughtfully.

"Should we look around as well?" Ashe asked.

"We won't find anything," Vincent told him confidently.

"How can you be sure?" Zero-zero asked.

Vincent gestured a white paw to the fallen flowers on the playscape. "The creature didn't escape, it was released. If it broke free, there would at least be pieces of rope laying around."

"Why would anyone do that?" Ninety-one asked. "It could have taken the rope with it."

"Maybe it was another monster?" I suggested. "One that's smarter than the others."

"Possibly," Vincent said. "An intelligent leader behind this would explain why there aren't any active signs of where these creatures disappeared to. But that only makes the reason why more interesting."

"What are we going to do about this?" Zero-zero asked.

"Quince is already looking around, if anything substantial comes out of it, we'll know," Vincent said. "If there is something purpose directing these creatures, then they likely won't make a move today, knowing that she intends to stop them. For now, there's isn't to do but wait."

"We've been doing a lot of waiting," Zero-zero commented.

"Unfortunately, that's how things are at times. But I assure you, you'll come to treasure times like this." He had a distant gaze in his eyes as he spoke. "This at least gives me time to think on what we should do next. I doubt there won't be some form of retaliation for the creature's capture. we should return to the houses as well, to avoid trouble."

Vincent and Ashe came to the house with us. They sat at the table near the kitchen discussing things. Zero-zero sat with them. From what I picked up they were having trouble deciding what to do without knowing what freed the monster. Vincent wanted me to take the magic from it if Quince managed to capture it again. But that was only if the same one showed up again. The larger one would be harder to deal with.

I sat on the couch with Hue in my lap. He looked bored. I'd be too if I wasn't nervous about the monsters. Was there really a third one out there? If it knew how to untie ropes how would Quince capture it? Would she even be able to manage it with just the four villagers helping her?

I gazed at the sphere next to me. A hint of the rune sat on it, almost mocking me.

"Maybe you should take a break today," Ninety-one said, noticing my stare. He sat beside me. He had been watching out the window. I wasn't sure what he had been hoping to see.

"Okay," I said as I started to pet Hue.

"Are you doing alright?" He asked.

I shrugged. "I'm fine, I guess."

"You don't have to do this if you don't want to," he said. "Any of it. If this gets too much we can leave."

The thought of leaving never crossed my mind. I didn't want to stay here but leaving felt wrong.

"Quince wouldn't come with us," I told him.

"Maybe. I'm not sure she'd be willing to go that far. I understand she wants to help everyone here, I do too, but we don't know how."

"You think she's wrong too?" I asked

"Not wrong, just doing in the wrong way," Ninety-one said. "If there is a right way."

"There is rarely a correct way to do anything," Vincent said from the table. I nodded passively, not caring for the conversation.

"What are you going to do about her once we return to the Train?" Zero-zero asked.

"She will be suspended from missions," Vincent answered. "If she can't behave in simple ones like this, there is no way I can trust her. I don't expect her to leave for several months, in fact."

That seemed a little extreme but Vincent was in charge. She'd only gotten to go on missions in the first place because she kept pestering him about it. If he did suspend her, Quince would definitely be upset. If I still sat alone during meals, I would probably end up hearing about it all the time. I still might.

"Anyway," Vincent continued "unless anything substantial happens, we're going to get started on looking for the location of the core. I believe it to be somewhere in the village. There aren't that many places to look. However, there is a chance that someone might have come across it."

"You think someone is controlling the monsters?" Ninety-one asked."But everyone here seems so afraid of them."

"It may not be intentional," Ashe said. "We've seen many cases where people find cores and affect them without knowing what they are dealing with."

"It doesn't help that they can take the form of everyday objects." Slight irritation lined Vincent’s voice. "But we'll work with what we're given. Who knows, we might get lucky and have it be something obvious."


	8. Chapter 8

The rest of the day passed slowly. A member of Quince's search party, Waggs passed by the window at some point and waved. Later in the afternoon, so did Forester. Everyone seemed to have stayed in their homes as Quince asked.

I'd eventually moved to my room. I laid backward in the bed. Hue teething on the pillows while I played with my rabbit ears. I still wasn't used to them. I hoped we would leave the village soon so I will be back to normal. The fur was fine, then there was something about the ears I couldn't stand. Especially the way they moved when I walked.

I jumped at the sound of knocking. I looked to the door expectantly. Was it Quince again? The sound came again, it was behind me. Looking to the window, where I saw the colorful bird from this morning standing outside. He waved me over.

"Your friend wanted me to get you," he said through the glass. "She found something important."

Was it another monster she captured? Maybe it was the core? If she found it, why was she being secretive by sending this guy? Vincent was here. Was she really that worried about him finding out that she was avoiding Ninety-one and Zero-zero too?

I nodded to the bird. Lifting Hue off the pillows, I tucked him under my arm and headed out of the house. The bird was waiting for me outside the front door. He was rocking on his feet watching down the dark streets, clearly uncomfortable being outside at night.

"What did Quince find," I asked him, closing the front door behind me.

"I'm not sure. But I was told that you needed to come right away," he said a bit too loudly. He held out his wing toward me. "We haven't officially met yet. I'm Mango Tango. Nice to finally meet you, visitor."

"Nice to meet you too," I said, taking his wing. "I'm Sol."

Letting go of my paw, began to lead me down the streets. The air was cold and it was hard to see. The only light came from open windows and the moon overhead. It was surprisingly bright.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"Near the school," Tango answered.

Is that where the monster went? Had it taken Quince and the others all day to find it there? Maybe that wasn't it. The villagers were terrified by them, it had to be something else.

We were nearing the center of town. Without building to block the light, the moon's shine was the brightest. Tango had just stepped into the pale light when Hue began to hiss. I stopped walking as he struggled under my arm. He jumped to the ground just as a giant shadow flew in front of us. Tango screaming as a monster tore into him. It shook the bird violently, sending fabric and white fluff flying.

Grabbing Hue up from the ground, I began to run back to the house. The soft ground made it different. I didn't shout for help. Maybe in the darkness, the monster would lose me. After Tango's scream people were sure to know what was happening. Had it been loud enough for Ninety-one and Zero-zero to hear? Would they get concerned and check on me?

The night was quiet. Tango was gone. I didn't hear the monster chasing me. Would I even be able to? I didn’t look back to find out. The village was small. I could see the street where the house sat. I was almost there.

Something heavy slammed into my back. Hue flew from my arms as I hit the ground. Before I could even get to my feet, I was grabbed by my legs. The world spun as I was shaken. Blinding pain shot through my head as I was hit against something. My vision blurred as I was struck again. The third hit knocked me out.

When I woke up again I felt sick. My head felt so bad that I could barely think. My entire body felt sore. A wave of nausea moved over when I tried to lift my head. There were sounds going on around me. I couldn’t make them out. They were loud too loud. I couldn't concentrate. I blacked out again.

When I woke up again the pain in my head was better, not by much but I'd take anything. There was something tight around my wrist. focusing my eyes, I saw that they were bound with rope. It was tight enough to make my skin press in. If I had bones, they'd be broken. I was sitting against a wall, the rope holding my wrists had been heavily sewn into the ground. My legs were stretched out in front of me. There were thin white in them. There were sharp stinging pains in the same area.

"Hey? Are you okay?" a whispered voice asked. Blinking, I looked to the side and saw Quince. She was also tied up. She had similar white stitching on her right arm.

"What happened?" I winced. The sound of my voice made the headache worse.

Blinking back the pain, I gazed over our surroundings. We were in a dimly lit room. The only light came from a lantern that sat on a large table. On that table laid the torn remains of Tango. One of his wings hung limply over the edge of the table. White clumps of fluff sat exposed over the opening in his body, some of it falling to the floor.

"He was brought in with you," Quince said quietly. She gave a heavy breath. "I thought you were dead too at first."

"He said you wanted to see me and that found something important," I told her.

Tearing my gaze from Tango's body, I looked over the rest of the room. It was hard to see through the darkness. From what I could make out, there were boxes and bags shoved to one side. I was hesitant to wonder what they were filled with.

"I never told him that," Quince said.

My mind was too muddled to try and think of why he had lied. The other end of the room had large dark shapes that I couldn't make out. When I tried to focus on them, the pain only got worse. Taking a breath, I leaned my head back against the wall.

"Oh, good. Our second guest is finally awake."

A figure stepped from a door that I didn't notice open. The white parts of him stood out and as he moved into the light, his spots became more visible. Waggs sat a brown bag on the floor next to the table. It wiggled violently as whatever was inside struggled to get out.

"You're the one controlling the monsters," Quince hissed at him. "You had them attack us."

"Yes," he said happily. "Sorry about tonight, but there wasn't a better way to get you here without hurting you a bit."

Walking forward, he knelt down and patted one of my legs. I pulled it away from him.

"I did my best to sew the torn parts of you back together. I've had plenty of practice," he said proudly. "I tried to get my pets to be gentle with you, but they can only do so much."

"It was you!" Quince shouted. I winced at the sound.

"Vincent was right," I muttered out. "Someone was controlling them."

"Wow, you strangers are a lot smarter than everyone here," Waggs said as he stepped back. He moved back to the table and began moving Tango's body around.

"What are you doing to him?" Quince asked. It was getting hard to keep my eyes focused.

"Oh? You haven't figured that part out yet? Watch me work and you'll find out," Waggs said casually. His voice sounded distant. I closed my eyes, it was getting too hard to keep them open.

Wincing I blinked, still finding myself in the darkened room. The pain in my head wasn't as strong. I didn't know how much time passed, but Waggs was gone. Parts of Tango's body were laying on the floor. His wings and head sat on the table. His black button eyes stared emptily into the wall.

"Are you awake?" I heard Quince ask.

"Yeah." I still felt so tired.

"That guy left a while ago. I can't believe one of the people here would do this. They all seemed so nice and harmless." She said. "I guess this is what Vincent meant by staying out of it."

I didn't agree with her. "Where are we?"

"I don't know. I got knocked out too," she said quietly. "But hopefully Ashe and everyone will find us soon. I'm sure Oscar and Nicholas are worried."

How long would it take them to notice I was gone. If it was morning, they'd know by now. I should have told them where I was going. Would they be here too if I did? "Did he say why he brought us here?"

"No. I didn't want to talk with a guy who was cutting up a body." She paused, taking a breath. "I know they're stuffed animals, but it was hard to know that that was once a person."

Silent fell over us. We were sharing a room with a corpse. How many dead bodies have I seen in the last few months? How many more would I end up seeing? Why did things always end up like this? What was I doing wrong? I was doing my best. I tried were I could. Why did this have to happen?

I would have been crying if this body was able to. I turned my head and focused on the shadows in the corner of the room. I tried to calm myself. Ninety-one and the others wouldn't notice soon. They would look for us. The village was small and Vincent was smart. He'd find us quickly. But what about before then? Waggs had brought us here for a reason, hadn't he? What could he possibly want me and Quince for? Would he try to captain the others too? Would all four of them be able to defend themselves against Waggs's monsters?

"Have you seen Hue?" I asked remembering that he was with me. Maybe he escaped and went back to Zero-zero and Ninety-one. Why hadn't I noticed he was gone earlier?

A muffled, angry meow came from the bag near the table.

"Hue?" I called out.

It thrashed at the sound of my voice. Waggs had stuffed him in a bag and left him there. I looked down at my rope. I had some leeway, but I didn’t think it was enough to reach the table. Regardless, I used the wall to push myself into my feet. My legs were so sore that they were numb and keeping my balance was difficult, but I stayed standing.

"What are you doing?" Quince asked.

I ignored her as I began making my way towards the table. I got about a third of the way there until my rope ran out. I considered laying down and using my feet to bring the bag closer when a shadow in the corner of my eye moved.

"Oh shit," Quince hissed as the shadow stood and slowly lumbered towards me. I could make out its features as it stepped into the light.

This monster was long. It had six front limbs, a mix of legs and arms, none of them matching each other. The rest of the body looked like a snake's. The skin was lumpy and made of mismatched colored fabrics that had been cut in odd shapes. The face was the worse part. Eyes and mouths mashed together on the warped lump that was the head.

I stumbled back, falling as I tried to get away from the approaching abomination. I struggled as I got back to my feet, moving to stand as far away from it ask the rope bidding me would allow.

The monster stopped moving. It stood watching. Its mouths, each of them moving independently, opened and closed.

"....afraid........don't......"

The voice- voices were barely a whisper. I hadn't been sure I heard them at all. With a glance at Quince, I knew it wasn't a mistake. This thing had talked.

"......help......"

The monster moved again, its huge body pulling again thick sets of ropes that were wound around it. The ropes were tied to the walls and floor behind it. Was this what Waggs was going to do with us, make us into his monsters?

"I- we don't know how," I said weakly. Why was this one different? The others couldn't talk or at least didn't try to. Why was this one tied up?

"...help..." The voices were stronger this time. They sounded sad, desperate. Were the minds of the people made from this thing still inside it? How long had it been here? How many people has Waggs killed?

".....help....."

"...help..........."

".........help...."

The voice varied. Some sounded old, some sounded young, others were unmistakably children. All of them, trapped down where, crying for help from two people who could even help themselves.

"What do we do?" Quince asked.

I tore my eyes from the creature and looked around the room. There wasn't anything close enough to reach. The nearest things were the bag holding Hue and Tango's remains.

"I don't know."


	9. Chapter 9

I sat in the middle of the floor to be close to Hue. The monster was laying down now. Occasionally, it would whisper out for help. Quince was silent as well. Not that there was much to talk about. There was no sound but the monster’s heavy breathing until the door to the room opened.

“Oh, I see you’ve met my oldest pet. A shame about how out it turned out. But it was my first draft,” Waggs said cheerfully as he entered. He dragged a large sack behind him that he dropped on the floor. At the sight of him, the monster pushed itself back into its dark corner. I moved back to the wall as well. “You don’t have to worry. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Why would we believe that?” Quince asked, her voice was filled with disdain. I stayed standing, my back leaning against the wall .“Are you going to turn us into monsters too?”

“Oh, goodness, no. And miss out on having someone interesting to talk to? Never. Everyone else here is so boring. Always happy, always celebrating something insignificant. Nothing ever changes. Even with people disappearing, nothing about them changed.” He huffed as he moved towards the table. “Even when I had them tied up down here, they didn’t change.”

“You’re bored?” I asked. That’s what all this was for? He was just bored. He couldn’t be serious? That was it?

“No, no. It’s more than that,” he said gesturing to Quince. “You saw how they were yesterday. Even at the risk of their own lives, they were more concerned about doing their routines. To be honest, I was shocked when they did eventually go back home. Maybe it was something about you that made them listen. Too bad they were back to normal this morning. No one but your friends even cares.”

So they were looking for us already, that was good. Waggs shook his head as he moved around the table and picked up a bag from behind it. He pushed Tango’s head and wings to one side and began pushing the rest of the remains into a bag.

“Is all you’re doing trying to get a reaction from people?” I asked. That reason wasn’t much better.

“It’s hard to explain to someone who hasn’t lived here their whole life,” he answered without looking back.

“Or maybe it is just a bad excuse so you could murder people,” Quince accused. Waggs didn’t respond.

“Were you always different from them?” I asked, remembering what Vincent had said. The magic of the core made them cheerful. Maybe it was making Waggs this way too. Even as he talked now, he sounded just as cheery and upbeat as everyone else in the village.

“I used to be. Admittedly it was nice always being happy,” he almost sounded sad. “But enough about all that, tell me about you. Where did you come from? How did you find the village? Are there more of you? There’s so much I want to know.”

“Why would we tell you anything?” Quince asked.

“Come now, you must have some interesting stories you would be willing to share,” Waggs coaxed. “In exchange, I’ll tell you how I am able to create my pets.”

“Why would we want to know that?” Quince hissed. "The only thing we want is to be let go."

"Please, don't be so boring," Waggs said, frustration lining his voice. It sounded like a threat. He turned his attention to me. "What about you aren't curious?"

I was admittedly but the last thing I wanted to do was encourage him. Much less get any of the details he was clearly eager to share. However, boredom had driven him to create the monsters, it could drive him to do the same to us if we didn't indulge him.

"What made you change from everyone else?" I asked.

He seemed disappointed in the question. "I think differently, that's all. Come on, there must be something else you want to know."

"Did you find something that made you see everything different?" I was reminded of Goldsboro and the flyers in the subway. How I came in contact with colors and how everything had spiraled from there.

Waggs shook his head. "No, ask something else."

"Just say what you want to tell us," Quince snapped. Couldn't she see that I was trying to find out about the core? "It’s not like we care either way."

"Fine," he said. "I have work to do anyway."

He moved over to the sack he had dragged him. He pulled it. Closer to the table before opening it and pulling out a small body. It was one of the sheep children from the day before. Their neck and limbs have large tears in them. White fluff dropped to the floor as Waggs heaved them onto the table.

"You're twisted in the head," Quince scowled.

"You're just not seeing things clearly," Waggs huffed. "But I'll show you soon enough."

He moved to pick up a pair of scissors that were on the table. They looked just as soft and harmless as anything else in the village, yet they cut through the sheep kid's body as easily as regular metal scissors would.

"What are we going to do?" Quince whispered.

Waiting seemed to be our only option for now. If I could get to Hue, maybe he could escape and get the others. On the other hand, back in Lucky Coin when the Enforcer grabbed me he attacked it. If he did that here, who knows what Waggs would do to him. If he went as far as killing children I doubted anyone was off-limits. No, Hue was better off staying in the bag.

As for us, there wasn't anyone we could do. Everything was out of range. Even if something was, there was no way to fight back. Everything was a soft toy and completely harmless.

I shook my head and slid to the floor. "I don't know."

"We'll think of something," Quince said, hopeful.

We sat in silence. I watched the floor, doing my best to avoid seeing what Waggs was doing to the body. The sound of ripping and fabric moving was hard to block out.

Closing my eyes, I felt for the core’s energy, pushing everything around me away to concentrate on it. I could feel it. The energy was stronger here. The buzzing was more intense than I've ever felt it before. The core must be nearby. Waggs had to have found it. That or it was nearby.

I pulled the magic towards me, doing the same as I had done before. None of it moved. Without the sphere, there was no way to collect it, nowhere for it to go. There was nothing I could do. But at least this way I wouldn't have to witness Waggs's project.

I came back to reality after feeling something nudge my foot. Assuming it was Waggs, I looked up. I jolted back when I saw a face staring at me. The movement caused the creature to jump back, allowing me to get a clear view of it. The three sheep children had been sewn together, their heads merged into one with each face pointing in a different direction. One of the black faces watched me, while the other looked at Quince.

The body was pure white with twelve thin black, dangling limbs attached to the front to the elongated body, similar to a caterpillar. At the shoulders were a pair of brightly colored wings. They were Tango's.

Next to me, Quince was seething. She was staring past the mutilated children at Waggs, who was looking proudly at his creation.

"What do you think?" he asked. "Magnificent isn't it? I'm getting better."

Did he not understand how horrifying- "How do you think we feel about it!"

Quince's shouting startled the creature. Opening all of its mouths it shrieked. Flapping its wings, the monster began to lift off the ground. I pushed myself closer to the wall as it crashed around the room. Boxes and bags fell to the floor as it slammed against the shelves.

"You're making a mess," was all Waggs said as he chased the monster.

The ceiling was low and didn't give the monster much room to escape. Its limbs grabbed things as it went. Dropping boxes to the ground and sending their contents across the floor. Scraps of cloth, buttons, and balls of fluff were spread about. Waggs finally managed to catch it as its lower half collided with the table. They both fell to the ground.

Waggs pinned the monster by the wings, leaving it with nothing else to do but thrash about. Waggs didn’t budge, clearly having practice in dealing with out of control monsters. He reached into his pants pocket, pulling out a needle with thread already through it. Leaning forward, he began stitching into the underside of one of the wings. The monster wailed miserably.

"Stop it!" Quince shouted, her voice barely breaking through the screaming.

The monster jerked and thrashed, its limbs flailing wildly. Things were thrown about. The bag holding Hue was tossed forward. He thrashed inside. I got to my feet as Waggs shifted his weight to keep his holding on the monster. I watched them both carefully as I neared them, catching a glimpse of what he was doing. He was stitching a pattern into it. The stitching was thin and hard to make out with all the movement, but I made out a triangle.

I quickly grabbed Hue’s bag and moved back to the wall. Hitting my back against the wall, I pulled open the bag, flinching as Hue sprang out and almost collided with my face. Dropping the bag, I held Hue to my chest in a tight hug. I sat back on the floor and held him. With my hands tied, it was hard, but he didn't move than to rub his head against mine. It was nice to have him back.

I glanced up, noticing that Quince was on her feet and looking over the scattered objects on the floor.

"Come on," she muttered to herself. "There has to be something we can use. Help me look."

I didn't want to let go of Hue. What if he tried to attack Waggs or the monster? If he did, Waggs might kill him too. I couldn't risk that. The wailing was getting weaker. The monster’s flailing was getting less erratic. Whatever Waggs was doing it was calming it down.

"Sol, help me," Quince hissed.

"I'm not letting him go," I told her.

"We have to get out of here," she whispered frustratedly.

"He's stitching runes into that thing," I told her. "That's how he has control over it. Even if we get out of this room, the other monsters will stop us from getting far."

"We should at least try," she pressed, stepping closer to me so she wouldn’t have to raise her voice.

"If we fail we could die. He's only keeping us here because he thinks we're interesting. He's doing this for fun," I reminded her. "What do you think he will do to us if we get in the way of that?"

Quince kneeled in front of me while she spoke. "Then what, you just want to sit and wait, hoping we'll be found? He could change his mind today, Sol. We need to fight back while he is preoccupied."

"We're still tied up," I said.

"With what? Everything here is a toy." Why couldn't she understand that it was pointless?

"Those scissors-"

"Are on the other side of the room, out of our reach," I cut her off.

"There has to be something else." Quince got to her feet and went back to looking around. "I know you're scared but sitting at isn't going to help us get out of here."

I didn't move. There was nothing useful on the floor other than scraps of cloth, balls of white fluff, and other useless things. There were also books and scattered flowers similar to the one Waggs handed me at the festival. I couldn't help but wonder if they were from or if Waggs made them himself. What mostly covered the floor were misshapen sewn together shapes. The threading on most of them wasn't good, it was even falling apart on some, allowing for white stuffing to fall out.

Shifting forward, I grabbed one and looked it over. The fabric was a dull orange color. The fuzz on it was short, like the type on the buildings. So at least this wasn't made from a villager. The others on the ground, I wasn't as sure of.

The monster’s wailing was getting weaker by the moment. Waggs had switched to sewing into the other wing. There was no telling how long it would be until he was finished. Dropping the ball, I picked up another and looked it over. It was in slightly better shape, but there wasn't much to it.

Tossing it aside, I picked up another one. It didn't offer anything useful. Whatever had driven Waggs to start seeing his neighbors together, he had started with these first. Maybe, somewhere in all of this mess is where he tested the rune. Pushing Hue to my shoulders, I searched through the nearby scraps and poorly made shapes.

There had to be something. The rune had a triangle on it, I knew that much but that wasn't all. I needed a complete image and then maybe, it was a large maybe, I would be able to get us out of here. So far, only a handful had any type of design stitching. A few had a triangle on them. One of them had two. I tucked it behind my back and kept searching. The wailing was getting weaker until there was nothing but a miserable groan.

The room went silent and I froze. Waggs moved off the monster and huffed. I quickly moved back towards the wall, hiding the odd shapes behind my back and pulling Hue back into my arms.

"Finally. Children are so hard to work with," Waggs said as Quince approached him from behind.


	10. Chapter 10

Quince held a rope in her wings. She'd made a loop in and before I could tell her to stop, she threw it over Waggs. She yanked it, catching his next and yanking him back. Quince dragged him towards her until he was just under her feet. Pressing her foot on his chest to hold him down, she pulled the rope again, tightening it.

"Now let us go," Quince demanded.

"Or what? You can’t hold me forever." He sounded amused. "I'm impressed you're fighting back. Thrilled honestly, but where are you going to go from here? You'll get tired eventually and let go."

"Not if I suffocate you first," she threatened.

A look of confusion came over Waggs. "Oh? I've never heard that word before. I'm curious to know what that entails."

Quince said nothing.

"No one here breathes," I reminded her. They may move and talk, but the people here were also stuffed toys.

Realization sunk in as she stared down at Waggs. He was watching her expectantly. When nothing happened, he pushed Quince's foot off of him and sat up. "You almost had me interested for a moment. A shame nothing came from it."

"I-" Quince started but was cut off by the sheep monster tackling her.

She gasped as it loomed over her. Waggs got to his feet and removed the rope from his neck. He looked over at me. "Oh, you got your pet back. Do you have any surprises planned?"

"No," I said hoping that he wouldn't take notice of the shapes behind me.

Waggs signed. "A pity. I was really hoping for more from you two."

"Get your monster off me!" Quince shouted. She squirmed under the thin limbs that held her to the floor.

"My pet isn't a monster," Waggs said through gritted teeth.

"What else would you call it?" Quince shot back.

"It is a work of art," Waggs said, frustrated. "How can you not understand how incredible it is. Creating new life out of old life."

"They were young children," Quince argued. "They still had plenty of life to live before you took it away. You tore them from their family and made them into a monster."

"My pets are not monsters!" he shouted. After taking a breath, Waggs glared at Quince. "My patience for you is running thin. Keep talking and I'll have no choice but to sew your mouth shut."

Quince looked at him quietly, frightened by the threat. For a few moments, the room was dead silent. Waggs nodded, signaling for the monster to release Quince. She crawled away from it the moment she was freed.

"I expected better from you. You come from outside the village, a place no one has ever seen or thought of. When your group arrived I was shaking with excitement. Out mysterious visitors from last time have returned, this time with more." Waggs was looking upwards with an expression of wonder on his face. "That white cat with you, Vincent, he speaks with a mystery behind him. I'm sure he has experienced great things. I was hoping you both would be equally as interesting."

"I doubt you'll get him or the other here," Quince said. I was surprised she was still being resistant after getting jumped on by that thing.

"Yes. They are cautious now. Your friends have done nothing but search the village and ask questions. I have no doubt they will start ripping through homes soon enough." Waggs returned his gaze to us. "I'm curious to know what they will do if they are able to find this place."

"You won't find out," Waggs said. Quince and I shared a look of worry. "Not if you continue to cause problems."

"What do you want from us?" I asked. "I don't understand what you want us to do."

He gazed over me, eyeing Hue in my arms. "Start by telling me about your little pet. How did you make him?"

"He was always like this," I lied.

"Curious," Waggs nodded. "Are there others like him?"

"Yes."

"Where?"

"Different places. Everywhere has animals like him," I told him.

"Tell me about these places." He sat down in front of me. "What are they like?"

I told him about Heita and Burilmont. They were large cities filled with things I doubted he could even imagine. Mundane things like television, cars, the internet, how the cities lit up at night, the way the people in Heita had starkly, yet limited skin colors. How there were hundreds of people, so many that hardly anyone knew each other. All of it fascinated Waggs.

"I need to see these places," he said earnestly. "Let me join your group."

"What?" Quince practice shouted. "After all you've done? Why would we bring you with us?"

"We can't decide that," I cut in.

"Who does?" Waggs asked, his monster skittering around behind him as he spoke. His eyes were only buttons, but the look on his face was of absolute determination. Where did this need come from?

"Vincent," I admitted. "and Quince is right. He won't let you join after this. But if you help us, he might change his mind."

"I'm not going to let you go that easily," he said, almost amused.

"What about just one of us?" Quince asked. Waggs didn’t even glance at her.

"Vincent is the one who decides if someone joins or not," I told him. A look of displeasure crossed his face. "But if you help me get something for him, it could change his mind."

"Oh, is that why you all are here. What could this little village have that you people want?"

"It’s hard to explain, but there is something in the air that makes this place special. To figure out why, we need an object, a glass ball."

"Yes, I saw you with it at the festival," he said thoughtfully. "I was curious to know what it was. I've never seen material like that before. You called it glass."

I only nodded, not wanting to explain the concept of glass to him. Regardless, Waggs nodded and stood up. He turned his attention towards the sheep monster and gestured to the mess on the floor. "Clean this up."

Waggs left the room, leaving his pet to quietly clean the floor. It muttered softly to itself in slow intelligible sounds. It was hard to look at as it skittered around in its thin legs. One of its heads was always faced in our direction. Was it watching us?

"So what's your plan?" Quince asked. She was staring at the door.

"Vincent doesn't leave the sphere out of his sight unless it’s with me, so I doubt Waggs will be able to get it without the others noticing. If he does get it, then there's a chance I can use it to get us out of here."

"A chance?"

I wanted to roll my eyes. My idea had a better chance of working than hers did. "It's the best I could come up with."

"What about those things you picked up. What are they for?"

I set Hue on my lap and pulled the odd shapes from behind me. I showed Quince one of the stitched runes. "I was looking for this."

"Is that a rune?"

"I hope so. If it is, then maybe I can use it to get us free. If Waggs is able to get the sphere, then with it and the rune, I'll be able to do something."

"Something."

I sighed through my nose. "I've caused damage to surroundings before when trying to use the core’s power. With how this village is, I probably won't do anything as extreme, hopefully, but I should be able to do something."

"Okay," she said nodding.

I gripped the lumpy shape in my hands like I would the sphere and concentrated hard. I was once again lost in the feel of energy around me. I pictured the rune as if it was hovering in front of me. Two triangles with lines on each of the six edges.

One or two depending on the side. On the lower triangle, it had crossing lines. To my disappointment, nothing had changed. The feel of the energy hadn't gotten any stronger and I still could draw it toward me. The rune must be wrong. Of course, it wouldn't be that easy. Now what? Should I try to figure out what the actual rune was? No, if it was just the lines, then there was no way I could guess it.

I pulled myself out of the fog magic with a huff. Looking around, I saw that Waggs hadn’t returned yet. The sheep monster was still cleaning the floor. It didn’t appear to have made much progress. Maybe assuming the most complicated one would be correct was wrong. A rune could look like anything as far as I knew.

I dropped the odd shape from my hands and pulled one of the other ones from behind my back. I tested it like the other one. No, another dud. Tossing it to the side I tried another one. That one was wrong too. I looked over the floor to begin searching for another one. The sheep creature wasn’t moving fast I didn’t want to risk it picking up the right one if there was one among the must. That wasn’t to mention that Waggs could come back at any moment.

“Need help?” Quince asked.

“Yeah,” I said with a nod. “These aren’t the right ones.”

“Do you really think he has a rune just sitting on one of these things?” she asked while hesitantly picking one nearby shape off the floor. She was just as unsure of what it was made from as I was. But if having to touch it meant that we’d get out of here faster then we had no choice. It wasn’t like it was the first time I was forced to touch the remains of something living. At least back then I didn’t know.

Pushing the memory from my thought, I went back to looking for the odd shapes. Quince stood from her spot on the floor to search further from the wall. The sheep monster eyed her passively as she reached down and lifted an orange and white lump. The symbol on this one only had one triangle. I tried it anyway. It didn’t work and when I came out of the haze Quince was standing in front of me with another two.

That’s how it was for a while, Quince gathering the shapes, while I tried them out. The symbols weren’t very consistent. Some had one triangle others had two. The lines on them varied in all sorts of ways. Only one of the triangles had lines. Not all the sides had lines. Some had only one line. Others had up to four on the long side. There was so much it could be.

If anything this taught me that runes had to be specific. That would be helpful once we got out of here, but right now it was just irritating.

“Baaa!”

I jumped and Hue hissed from his spot on my shoulders. The sound the creature made was like a baby crying that transformed into a tire screech. Quince stepped back away from the sheep monster as it reached one of its long thin limbs at her. It was reaching for the lump of fabric in her hand.

“Get away from me,” Quince said. Despite it sounding like a warning, she stepped away from it.

It made the noise again, though not as loud as it continued to reach for the plush mass. Quince looked at me. I tossed her one of the shapes I’d already tested. She caught it and handed it to the creature. It only satisfied it for a moment as it shoved the shape into an open bag before reaching out again.

Most of the mess in the middle of the floor had been cleaned, but there was still plenty around the edges and near the shelves. Why was it bothering with the shapes we had? We gave it the rest of the shapes that we’d used. Still, it wanted the one Quince was holding. Maybe that was a sign?

“Give it to me,” I told her.

She threw it over, but that only made the creature come toward me. Getting to my feet, I quickly looked over the symbol on it. Two triangles with a couple of lines on each of their sides.

“Baa!”

I flinched as it grabbed me with its spindly legs. I wanted to kick it off but didn’t want to agitate it. I didn’t know if it was Waggs’s influence or their nature that made them violent, and I didn’t want to find out. I gaze over the symbol, memorizing the lines on the triangles before dropping the shape to the monster. The creature made a clicking noise before suttling away towards the back where it is keeping the other odd shapes.

Before I could try anything with the symbol, I heard the door open. “You two won’t believe what I found.”


	11. Chapter 11

Quince scrambled to get back to her place against the wall. Waggs hadn’t had an issue with us getting up before, but with his sudden mood changes, it was hard to know what would set him off. When Waggs stepped from behind the shelves that held the door. He had a twisted grimace on his face. In his paw, he held my backpack. I had hoped that he would have been able to get it.

He set the backpack on the table before turning to face us. “So, before anything else, tell me about your group.”

“What do you want to know?” I asked.

“We’re only allowed to tell outsiders so much,” Quince added.

Waggs gazed at us for a moment. “How many of you are there?”

“I don’t know an exact number,” I told him. I only knew a few people in Recall. There must have been hundreds of people on the Train.

“I don’t know. We haven’t been there long,” I answered.

“But there are a lot of you?”

“Yes,” Quince said.

“So, you wouldn’t describe your role as crucial?” He asked.

“Of course,” Quince said confidently. It was true for the most part, even if we weren’t having much, or any, success in our jobs.

Waggs tilted his head, thinking. “You’re new but important enough to send a search party for. That is interesting, You’re group must care a lot about you.”

Quince huffed. “You’re surprised they went looking for us?”

“Yes but it’s more than that. Your cat friend sent the bear to get some others. He said something about ‘tearing this place apart if we have to’. You know, he’s been very active in searching for you both. I must admit I’m surprised. The people here won’t even spare an afternoon to look for missing family members.” He tapped his paw on the table thoughtfully. “It makes me wonder what else they would be willing to do.”

I would not have expected Vincent to get more people from Recall considering how accustomed he seemed used to losing people. But was searching for us that big of a surprise for Waggs? Did the people here really care that little for each other?

“If you let us go now, we’ll leave and won’t say anything,” Quince told him.

“I have a better idea,” Waggs said as he turned towards the table. He unzipped the bag and pulled out the sphere. “If they are willing to do all this because of how important you are, then all I have to do is show them how much better I am. I’ll show them what I can do, and they’ll be so fascinated that they will have to take me with them.”

“Do you really think anyone in Recall will replace you with us?” Quince asked. “Some weird guy who makes monsters out of people? When they find out-”

“They won’t!” Waggs shouted. “Not if there isn’t anyone around to tell them.”

He held the sphere above his face, letting the light from the lantern on the table shine through it. He shifted on his feet, muttering to himself. The light from the sphere caught the sheep monster’s attention. It crept towards Waggs with curiosity. Quince nudged me.

“What now?” she whispered. I didn’t know. I had hoped that Waggs wouldn’t be able to get the sphere. Or at least wouldn’t be about to do it without getting caught.

“He doesn’t know how to use it,” I whispered back. “We have time. Vincent will-”

“Don’t touch it,” Waggs scolded.

Looking up, I saw that the sheep creature had pushed its head close to the sphere. It was attempting to grab it with its mouth. Waggs tried to pull away but with the creature grabbing onto him with its thin limbs, he only ended up tripping. The creature snatched the sphere from him as he fell, taking the sphere in its mouth.

Waggs glared up at tt. “Even like this children are more trouble than they are worth.”

The creature made a choked, gagging sound. It backed up quickly, thrashing its head as if it was trying to escape. The sound turned into a terrified scream as the sphere stuck in its mouth began to glow. Swirls of pink and green shined from the creature’s mouth as the sphere sunk down its throat.

Flapping its wing in panic, the monster kicked up a mess that it had just cleaned. From where I sat I could see a shining lump as the sphere moved further into the creature’s body. It thrashed and shrieked as more lights began shining from inside of it. Slowly, like a deflating balloon, the monster began to shrivel into itself. It fell to the floor, whining, legs kicking out erratically. Frightened, Waggs backed away from it. Quince and I glanced at each other in horror. Was the sphere doing this?

Monster’s body continued to collapse as the lights got brighter, the body wrinkling and getting smaller. The seams on it pulled apart, exposing the white insides. Its skin sagged and the color dulled as the pieces that made up the creature’s body fell apart until it was nothing more than a pile of cloth. The lights died down as the room went still.

Carefully, Waggs approached the mess. He shuffled through the cloth pieces until he picked out the sphere. It was once again nothing but a transparent ball, but now the rune on it was more visible. But from this angle, I didn’t have a clear view of it.

“This is quite a toy you have,” Waggs said, glancing towards us. “I take it, this ball wasn’t supposed to do that?”

I didn’t know a lot about what the sphere was supposed to do besides gathering the core’s energy, but I was fairly sure sucking the life out of something wasn’t one of its uses. I’d have to ask Vincent about it.

Waggs turned his head as he gazed at the rune. “I recognize this. So that’s what you’re after. This may be easier than I thought.”

“You have no idea how to use that thing?” Quince said sharply.

“No, but I do know about this little picture on it,” He was smiling to himself. “I wonder what will happen went it gets nice and solid.”

“You still won’t be able to use it,” Quince told him.

“I have time to figure it out,” he said airily.

Patting the sphere, Waggs turned and headed to the darkness of the room, where the giant monster sat tied-up. It shrunk back as he neared it, but did nothing as was forced open its mouth with one hand and shove the sphere into it.

“...no…” was all it managed to get out before it whimpered, whined pitifully as the lift was drained from it. The sphere glowed and twisting lights emanated from it as the poor creature was slowly killed.

However, this time the monster didn’t just fall into a pile of cloth. The fabric pieces shifted and rolled against each other, traveling across the floor in an old rolling motion, carrying the fluff and ropes with it. The fabric merged with that of the sheep monster, collecting together in a great mass that moved over itself, forming something more, something larger.

The sphere thudded against the floor. Rolling slightly under the thick clawed feet of a new monster. It was a beast with six stocky legs and a wide body. Its head was almost as thick as its shoulders. The creature had a long face, almost like a horse’s with a large wide mouth that nearly reached behind its head. In that mouth were dozens of teeth in several rows. They were plush, but I’d seen what teeth like that could do to a person here.

The giant monster shook itself, like a dog after getting wet, its head barely missing the ceiling. Its skin, which resembled a tattered quilt, shifted oddly like it was still settling into itself. Waggs was staring at it with wonder and amazement.

“Is it supposed to do that?” Quince whispered to me, her voice was brimming with worry.

I didn’t know. I didn’t know anything about the sphere that Vincent hadn’t told us both. It never occurred to me to ask questions about it. Maybe because I was so worried about using it in the first place. I only shook my head at her.

“I see. With this, I can create larger, more interesting pets than I could ever hope to do by hand.” Stepping forward, he lifted the sphere off the ground. The new monster gazed at him with an uncountable collection of eyes but didn’t move. “But I only have so many pets. Oh well, let’s see what else this thing can do.”

He moved back towards the shadowy part of the room, where he disappeared behind more shelves. After a moment there were more sounds of monsters screaming. How many were back there? How many people had he taken and turned into those things?

“We have to do something,” Quince urged. There was nothing we could do. Not tied up where no one could find us.

I looked over at the new monster. It was slowly turning its head, gazing over the room. It stopped to look at us more than once. I stiffened as it took a step, but turned its head down and smelled at the floor. Slowly it lumbered forward, its claws catching on the floor, making small rips in it. I could tell there was something different about this one.

“Sol,” Quince pressed.

“I don’t know, okay,” I snapped at her. Why was she expecting me to figure this out? It wasn’t like she had any ideas.

"What about Hue? If he attacks-"

"I'm not risking his life," I hissed, pulling Hue into my lap. "The monster will just kill him."

"Well, we can't just sit here and wait."

I looked over the room. The monster was pawing at the mess on the floor. My bag was still on the table, not that there was anything useful inside it. "I'm going to try the rune again."

"That hasn't worked so far."

"Then think of something else."

If Quince responded, I didn't hear her as fell back into the haze of magic. The buzzing of the energy was stronger than before. Was it from the sphere or the monster? Either way, the intense feeling made it hard to stay focused.

For a moment I consider staying here. Hiding away, lost in this comforting feeling. It was incredibly tempting, but I had to get back to Ninety-one and Zero-zero. They must have been worried. After Burilmont, Ninety-one had always made sure I was safe. This was probably far worse for him than back then. I hope they aren’t that mad at me.

I pictured the rune from the last oddly formed shape I had. It was hazy, everything happening with the sphere and the monsters, making it hard to remember. Then energy felt different. It was like floating in pitch blackness while having thousands of tiny blinking lights everywhere.

Among these lights, not too far ahead of me, there was a cluster that shined brighter than the rest. Whatever it was it moved slowly and deliberately. I watched it, though not with my eyes, as it went. It was walking in this floating space. Trying to understand this thing's form, I realized that it was the same shape as the monster the sphere had created.

There were more things like it here. To my right, further than where I'd be able to see in the room, possibly past the shelves, were two more masses of energy. They also moved, though I wasn't able to place their forms. The two overlapped each other. They were inconsequential compared to balls of brightly shining pink and green lights. It formed into a ball and at the center of it, the white outline of the rune.

What's more, I could see the faint silhouette of Waggs standing near it. He wasn't as bright as the monster but his hands were glowing from where the rune’s energy was seeping into them. I tried to pull the magic from it, but the current of the magic was too strong. All the lights around the sphere were getting drawn into it as the light of it slowly grew.


	12. Chapter 12

I dragged myself back to reality feeling nothing but helpless. Not a feeling I was a stranger too. The thought felt bitter and made me want to cry. I stared at the ground. I was tired of this, of being helpless all the time. Of being scared.

"Sol?"

I didn't look up at Quince. I didn't want to talk with her. I didn't want to blame her for this, she didn't mean for this to happen, but if she had just listened to Vincent we would be here. I would still be with Ninety-one and Zero-zero. Maybe she wouldn't. That was terribly that but everything was terrible right now.

With a gentle purr, Hue nudged his head under my chin. That only made the urge to cry worse. I hugged him. He was all I had right now. At times it felt like Hue was the only thing I had. The only thing that I understood. That wasn't true, there was a lot about him I didn't know.

Like how he was able to transform or use a core's power for instance. I looked down at Hue, where he took the opportunity to lick at my face. His soft, dry felt odd on my equally fuzzy face, but it was comforting nonetheless. I pet his head.

"Thank you," I told him softly. He purred louder and pushed his head against my face. Yeah, at least I had him.

"Are you okay?" Quince asked gently. I only nodded.

"That's good," Waggs said as he returned to our part of the room. He had two giant monsters following behind him.

One was smaller and was made almost entirely of feathered wings. There were so many that I could barely make out its body underwear. It crawled over the shelves as it moved, using claws to grip anything it touched. The other was a tall spider-like creature. Its legs were bent awkwardly, holding its fat body low to the floor. It was clear it would stand much taller if it had the room. While the winged monster didn't appear to have any of the button eyes. the spider had far more. More than even the six-legged monsters.

"I'd hate for my new pets to be unhappy," Waggs continued.

"What?" Quince said. Her voice matching the horror in her voice. Was he really going to turn us into one of those things next?

"I don't need you anymore, you've lost your interest. Now I have bigger and better plans, but don't fret, you'll still get to be a part of it." He tucked the sphere under his arm and moved to the table. I could see him lifting up a needle and thread before approaching us. "In fact, you two will be perfect to test out my new ideas."

He pointed at us. The six-legged and spider monster headed toward us. We were barely able to scramble to our feet before we were forced back to the floor. Waggs started with me first. I struggled under the weight of the monster’s paws and a sharp pain prinked my back. He was sewing something into me. I screamed.

Over my voice, I could hear the monster on me growling. Its weight shifted but not enough for me to get free. I could hear Hue growling. He was trying to fight the monster. But he was too small. I would kill him if I didn't do something.

"Don't worry I'm almost finished," Waggs spoke.

I gritted my teeth. The pain of the needle piercing my skin spread through my entire back. I tried to force myself into the magic haze to escape it, but it was too strong, I couldn't focus. Panicking, I switched runes, grasping for anything that would help me. Luckily coin's, Burilmont's, Coal Grove's, anything. I ended with Goldsboro's. Feeling the faintest spark, even if it was just my imagination, I stick with it remembering all the things that came with that rune.

The monster on me roared as it was thrown off me. Its claws caught on the rope holding me, cutting. The pain in my back stopped. Opening my eyes, I looked around. The room was washed in red. Deafening roaring came from nearby. I scrambled to my feet as something red shoved itself past me. A shark, about half the size of the monster was biting into its neck. The creature thrashed and clawed at it, but it couldn't get a grip. Hue was also on the monster, clawing and biting at its neck. White fluff fell from the creature.

"Kill that thing," Waggs ordered.

The spider monster charged into the fight. It'll long legs made it hardly helpful. But Quince was free now. I rushed to her, untying her ropes.

"There are flying sharks now?" Quince asked, panicked.

"Where did it come from?"

"I made it," I said quickly. "We need to go. Hue!"

"You're not going anywhere!" Waggs shouted.

My body froze. It prickled with the feel of magic. I looked at Waggs. He held the sphere in both of his hands. It was swirling with pink and green lights. The rune on it was a stark white. As Waggs moved closer to us the feeling of the energy got stronger.

A flash of white slammed into him. Hue latched onto his shoulder. Instead of fighting him off, Waggs clutched tightly onto the sphere. There was a screech as the winged monster flew to Waggs, hitting Hue off of him.

"Sol?" Quince pulled at my arm. I was only able to stumble, still not in control of my body. I wasn't even able to speak.

I tried to use Goldsboro's rune again but all I was able to feel was this place's. It was so strong that it made it hard to think. Waggs was approaching us. Quince looked between him and me, fear clear on her face. The sounds of the two monsters weren't as intense. I couldn't turn and see, but I was sure that they could take on the shark. Hue was backing away from the smaller monster, he was out-matched.

"I'm sorry. I'll come back with everyone."

Quince rushed forward, taking only enough time to grabbed Hue off the ground before sprinting away. I couldn't see what happened as she left, only hear the sound of the monsters roaring and charging toward her. There were heavy thuds before something large fell to the floor and everything went quiet. Only the look on Waggs's face told me that she got away.

"Get her!" Waggs shouted. I could hear the muted thudding of large footfalls as the monsters gave chase. He stared in the direction Quince had run. He took a heavy breath before his face settled into a frown. "Fine. I don't mind speeding things up. At least I got the more interesting one."

He moved up to me. I couldn’t look up to meet his eyes. All I could do was stand there.

"Don't try anything. Your friend was lucky. You won't be."

The energy in my body varnished. I stumbled back a step and looked around the room. A shelf had fallen when the monsters went to chase Quince. The shark was gone. There was no trace of it. Where it had been fighting laid the shredded remains of the spider monster. Good, that was at least one gone.

"So, What was that?" Waggs asked as he stepped forward. I glared at him. I'd had enough of this dog.

"What did you do to me?" I demanded.

"You wanted to know how I do what I do, now you know," he said amused.

I considered summing another shark but honestly wasn't confident that I could do it a second time. Especially not if he could control me just by thinking about it.

"You must admit, this is better than turning you into one of my pets," Waggs said as he paced over to the destroyed monster. The sphere lit up. The same lights covered the fallen creatures. The torn fabric shifted as fluff moved back inside the ripped whiles. It was getting fixed. "This way I'll have some to see my finished project. Half the fun of creating is getting to show your work off. "

Even once the monster was back on its feet, Waggs wasn't done. The fallen but of cloth that covered the floor began moving, collecting together to create a long creature with dozens of legs. Instead of a head, it had multiple faces making up its back. Eyes were placed all around.

"Getting going," Waggs commented. He was acting like this was a game. "Why don't you go have fun, while I get your new friends together."

Without a response, the long monster scuttled through the doorway, heading out into the village. I didn't move to try and stop them, I knew there was nothing I could do. Not with Waggs nearby anyway. He may have been distracted now, but it had only taken him a moment to take control of my body before. He wasn't going to turn me into a monster for now, but he could easily change his mind.

I was alone now. Hoped Quince would make it to the others. But she had the monsters chasing her, would she make it far? Would Hue? The committee would draw attention to whatever this building was. Vincent's already sent Ashe to get help. But what could more people do? They and everything they brought with them would be turned into stuffed toys.

Reaching back, I felt the spot where Waggs had sewn the rune into my skin. It was still painful. The stitching felt awful under my skin. I tried to scratch at it. I didn't have nails, making the area only feel irritated. I wanted to pull it out. Would it still be there once I left this place? If I ever get to leave.

Waggs had managed to make two more creatures out of the scattered mess on the floor. Both were smaller and stood on an odd number of legs. They have small bodies and a long tail that had a hand on the end. He sent them out of the room before turning to me.

"I must thank you. If it weren’t for you I'd never get to fulfill my dream. Not only do I get to create anything I want, but I’ll also be able to leave this boring little village as well." I felt the magic take hold of my body again as he stepped close to me.

He was right, it was my fault. I was so sure Waggs would not have been able to get to the sphere, let alone use it. He'd already caused so much death and pain on his own. Now he was able to create the monsters at will. Why did I think I could outsmart him? I should have just sat and waited. Waiting was all I ever did when I wasn't ruining something.

He patted my cheek like someone would a child. "With all you've seen, there must be plenty more you can help me with. Once we get out of here, we'll see all of it and more. And who knows, we might even become friends one day."

I hated him. He was the second person that I have ever felt hate towards. The feeling almost overshadowed my fear of him and the power he had. I still couldn't move, but I could plan. There had to be something I could do. I wasn't sure I could recreate what happened with the shark.

Gold had taught me how to use runes when they were written down. I just needed to find a pen or something. Thinking back, I hadn't seen anything like that here. Sewing like Waggs had wasn't an option. But I still had the runestone. If I was able to summon a shark without a rune, surely I could do something with the cards and the stone. I just needed to get to it.

"Let's get a few things together before we head out," Waggs said as he looked over the room. "I'll be glad not to be limited by this place anymore."


	13. Chapter 13

He had me pack for him. Waggs wanted to take a few mementos of this place. So he had me pile some things; tread and scraps of cloth that he particularly liked into my backpack. It was insulting at best, but at least I would be taking my bag with me. He didn't even have me dump it out first. Maybe he just wanted to mock me.

With that done, he had me put on the backpack and follow him out of the room. It led into a narrow stairwell. I didn't know the monsters made it through here, but there were clear rips in the steps from their claws. We dropped into a large, brightly lit room filled with grey-blue boxes. We were in a post office.

It was empty. There were shelves on the walls that square spots that held grey-blue crates in them. All of the crates were empty. Did a village this small really need an entire post office? Did the people hear send mail to each other?

"Pathetic isn't it," Waggs said, disdain in his voice. "It is always this empty here. Day in and day out I'm forced to stay in this empty building, waiting in case someone happens to want to mail a letter. It's always on a whim, just to try it out. As if they couldn't drop the letter on a doorstep themselves. Out of every job in this village, mine us the most worthless. Out of everyone, why was it me? Forced to sit in this silent building waiting days for nothing. Have you ever sat for days, months with nothing to do? Left with nothing but your thoughts? It can sicken the mind."

I'd roll my eyes if I could. This was his excuse, a boring job? His reasoning for causing all of this death was because he could find a better way to entertain himself? No, it had to be something more. Not from him, but from the core. Vincent said that it had the power to warp someone's mind. It was why the people here were so dismissive of everything. Maybe it could make Waggs this way too. Or maybe he was just a bad person looking for an excuse.

Either way, I was going to find a way to get out of his control. One way or another. Even if it took days.

"You know, as much as you may not like it, I'm glad to have you with me. It will make the adventures all the better. My pets are nice, but they aren't good for conversation. They don't understand like you can-"

I ignored it rambling. Of all the people who had tried to hurt me, he was the only one who had tried to talk with- at me. It was an irritating trait. But it didn't take away the fear. Of him or the power that he was preparing to unleash on the village.

We stepped outside. The air was warm and the sky was a yellow-orange. The sun was setting. Carried in the breeze were the sounds of shouting and monsters barreling through the village. Laying in front of the post office were five bodies. They were torn and spilling white fluff into the ground. The sixth and seventh ones dropped from the sky. I couldn't look up, leaving me to assume that the winged monster had dropped them.

Waggs quickly got to work using the sphere to morph the corpses into a creature. This was made to be just a large two-legged personal like us, just many times our size. Its face was simple, though it had a single thick cluster of buttons for eyes. The skin was the same patchwork mess as the other monsters. Without even a word from Waggs, it stomps off to cause more destruction.

The six-legged monster was a few buildings down. It was tearing into a house. Balls of fluff bigger than my body were sent flying. Threads dangling in the wind from the holes in the fabric. The building dipped from the loss in support. If it had been a normal house it would have collapsed already. The spider monster was standard on top of a roof, digging into it from above. The winged one was nearby, flying down to pick up anyone who fled from the destroyed buildings.

It was a nightmare. Next to me, Waggs looked over the scene with an expression of delight. He was enjoying seeing his home getting destroyed.

"Sol!"

Ninety-one's voice echoed through the village. He and the others were heading towards us. Everyone but Ashe. Quinn was with them. Zero-zero held Hue in his arms. They moved through the destruction, eyeing the monsters as they went. I could see Hue bare his teeth.

"Give them back!" Zero-zero demanded. I've never heard him so angry.

"I'd rather not," Waggs said with amusement. "They'll be traveling with me from now on."

"I heard you wanted to join us," Vincent said, his voice calm as ever. When they were only just across the street the spider monster jumped to stand between them and Waggs. Everyone but Vincent stepped back. He kept his eyes on the dog next to me. "Stop this and we can come to an arrangement."

Waggs laughed. It sounded deranged. "No, I have moved on from that. Besides, I'm sure your group will have an opening once you all are gone."

The spider crouched.

"Last warning, toy!" Vincent reached into his pockets as the others began stepping away. He pulled out two things I couldn't see.

"Let's play, then!" Waggs shouted.

The tall two-legged monster lunged at Vincent. A second later it was screaming as the fire rapidly engulfed the front to it. The fire was real, not the same soft material as everything else. The monster swatted at the fire, but that only succeeded in igniting its arms. Flaming scraps began to fall as it attempted to flee. The ground at its feet began to ignite.

Vincent ducked under the creature, running towards us. The others were heading our way as well. Next to me, Waggs activated the sphere, sending the spider monsters to stop them. I was jolted to the side as I was picked up by the six-legged monsters. From my peripheral, I could see Waggs scramble onto its back. The fire had him scared. The way it was quickly consuming everything, I was too.

I was shaking as the monster took off running. I could hear a shout, Ninety-one, I think, before I was thrown to the side. My vision blurred as I hit against the ground. Groaning, I rolled to my stomach. The magic in my body was gone. Lifting my head, I looked up and was met with something I haven't seen in months.

Hue was a dragon again. Like the fire, he looked normal but was hundreds of times his regular size. It was just like back in Goldsboro. He had the six-legged monster in his monster and was tearing it apart. Now that Hue had real teeth that thing didn't have a chance.

"Fantastic," Waggs said through laughter. He was already on his feet, watching as Hue destroyed his pet.

"Sol!" Ninety-one was suddenly next to me. He was kneeling on the ground, looking me over. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I said before he pulled me into a tight hug. I returned it. "I'm sorry."

"It’s okay. It's okay, I got you back," he said weakly. As he spoke his voice faltered.

"We have to get the sphere," I told him. We weren't safe yet.

We got to our feet and began looking around. The fall had sent my backpack flying and everything inside was scattered across the ground. The first thing I spotted was the runestone. Rushed to grab it. A shadow passed over as the spider monster jumped onto Hue’s back. He snarled as the winged monster began attacking his face. The feeling of magic gripped my body.

My feet turned until I was looking at Ninety-one. His attention was on Waggs, who was holding the sphere again. The swirling pink and green lights reflected off of his dark eyes. I couldn't say anything in warning as I moved to Ninety-one. I tried to fight each step, but there was nothing I could do. I clenched the runestone, trying to summon its power. My other arm reeled back.

Again I was thrown to the ground. This time it was Zero-zero. My arm shot out at him. It connected with his face before he grabbed onto my arm. He pushed it down so it was pinned to my chest. The arm holding the rune didn't move. My legs began to kick out.

"Try to fight it," He urged. I was but trying to use the runestone at the same time made it difficult. I couldn't do both.

"Leave them alone!" Quince shouted.

The grip of magic was gone. I tried to sit up but Zero-zero pushed me back down.

"I'm okay," I told him.

"How can I be sure?"

"I can't talk while under the rune's control." He didn't seem completely convinced but let me go anyway.

"Let go, girl!" Waggs's voice thundered as he and Quince wrestled for the sphere. The lights were swirling around both of them. I could feel it crackling in the air. The ground shook and rolled like a wave of water. "I won't let you take this from me!"

Zero-zero, Ninety-one and I ran to Quince. Vincent was the first one there. He punched Waggs in the face before grabbing at his clothes. Zero-zero was on him next, prying his hands from the sphere. Quince managed to get it away from him, but he didn't give up. Zero-zero and Vincent were trying to hold Waggs down.

It wasn't enough, he was still fighting, the magic making him stronger than the others. Feeling the runestone's power move through my hand, I brought the scattered cards to me. The cloth fell from them, returning them to normal.

"Run!" Zero-zero shouted.

Ninety-one joined them, hurling himself at him, but he didn't budge. He kept going for the sphere. Waggs was throwing the three of them off. Quince sprinted away, the sphere still sparkling with energy. Once Waggs was free, he went after her. The moment he was far enough from the others, I sent the cards at him as fast and hard as I could. They tore through him like it was nothing.

He collapsed to the ground. Stuffing and shredded cloth falling to the ground. One of his legs was completely severed. His face was a ripped mess. I considered sending the cards at him again for good measure but once I saw that he could barely crawl, decided that it was enough.

Vincent chuckled darkly. "Good job, Sol."

He moved to stand over the tattered mess that was Waggs. He was trying to drag himself forward with only his torn arms. "I won't....stop."

Large figures dropped from the sky. The remaining monsters were nothing more than lumps of ripped cloth and fluff. Hue, now his normal size, came and landed on my back. He crawled onto my head, licking me affectionately. He was a lot bigger with being me like this, it was hard to stay upright from his weight.

"Guys," Ninety-one said.

We looked up to find ourselves surrounded by villagers. Some were normal, others had pieces missing from the monster attacks. They were slowly making their way towards Quince. She had collapsed on the ground. The magic was glowing brighter now. It also engulfed her whole body.

"Quince-" Zero-zero began to head to her but Vincent stopped here.

"She needs help."

"Sol, you go," Vincent spoke.

"They have been through enough!" Ninety-one shouted. It was jarring to see him so upset.

"They have a better chance than any of us do."

That was good enough for me. I ran over to Quince, dodging through the slow-moving villagers. She was holding the sphere tight, her whole body was clenched around it. She looked to be in pain. Touching it, I felt the power rush through me. It was so intense that I nearly collapsed too.

I could feel everything within the core’s reach. The ground, the buildings, the villagers, even the destroyed monsters. I felt panic and pain. The fire was destroying so much of it. It was spreading fast. Before the night was over everything would be nothing but ashes. It was so much that it was hard not to get drowned in it. But I'd felt something similar before in Coal Grove.

I focused on the runestone. The power from it was much calmer. I could keep myself this way. I wrapped my arm around the sphere and pulled it from her grip. The lights around her receded to only encircle me. All of the magic force into me. I felt the mark Waggs had sewn into my back burn. I pushed it into the sphere. It was like fighting a heavy current. With the help of the runestone keeping me grounded, I was able to force enough of it in, until it flowed into the sphere on its own. Eventually, there was no more that it could take.


	14. Chapter 14

I think I blacked out, it was hard to tell. I was slumped over. I felt so tired. My body shook after having the energy pass through it. Blinking, I saw that Hue was in front of me, His small claws on the sphere. Had he been helping me. Smiling, I reached out to pet him. My hand was back to normal. I rubbed my arms in relief. My skin felt weird after spending so many days as a stuffed animal. It was nice to be back to normal.

"Is it over?" Quince groaned next to me. She was laying on her side, blinking slowly. She was normal too.

"I think so."

"Are you two alright?" Ninety-one asked as he walked up to us. He looked over me with a worried expression that was soon replaced by a reluctant smile. "You did it."

"We need to get moving, the fire is spreading fast," Vincent said.

I got to my feet, Ninety-one helping me. I felt weak but managed to stand. Hue clung to my back as I found my footing. The soft ground was even stranger now. Zero-zero helped Quince up. She had to lean on him for support.

"Do you need me to carry you?" he offered.

"I...I don't know," Quince answered weakly. It looked like she could barely keep her eyes open. Ninety-one helped her onto Zero-zero's back.

Looking around, I saw that Vincent was right. The flames were covering most of the village in front of us. The wind was helping to keep it from where we were but that wouldn't last. Turning, I slowly walked to were my backpack was.

"Sol?" Ninety-one asked, following next to me.

"I'm just getting my stuff," I told him. My breathing was heavy and my head felt light. It was hard to focus on what I was looking at.

"I'll get it," Ninety-one said, stopping me. "I'll get it. You rest, okay?"

I nodded. I was beginning to feel sick. The light of the fire was too bright. Blinking, I could see figures moving in the flames. The villagers, I think. They were on fire as well. The few that weren't were trying to escape it. There was a ringing in my ears that I hadn't noticed before. No, it was screaming.

"Help me...please."

I looked to where Waggs lay on the ground. He looked so small now. His body was still torn to shreds. He was looking up at Vincent who was standing over him.

"I...I didn't mean to cause all this," he was begging. I wasn't sure if it was for help or forgiveness.

Vincent reached down and grabbed the small toy by the back of the neck. Waggs sobbed as Vincent walked towards the fire and threw him in. I winced at the screaming. It was brutal but Waggs had hurt a lot of people.

"Was that necessary," Zero-zero asked.

"He was going to burn anyway," Vincent said coldly. He walked over to me and held a hand out for the sphere. "Do you need to be carried too?"

"I'll be fine," I told him, handing the sphere over.

"You've done good work today. You deserve a rest." I only nodded.

We left the village to burn. There was nothing we could do for them or the citizens, as Vincent says. No one made an effort to argue with him on it. It had been a long few days in that place. By the time we made it to where the fire was only smoke in the distance, Ninety-one was carrying me on his back. I ended up passed out before we reached the edge of the core’s influence.

I woke up to a light shining in my eyes. Blinking, it turned away from it. Sitting up, I realized that I was on the ground. A group of people, most of them I didn't know, were around me. Most were turned away and watching our surroundings. They were holding large guns. Some were turned away looking over Quince.

The area around us was lit up by the headlights of the bus, and the bright row of lights that sat on its roof.

"How are you feeling?" the woman holding the light asked.

"Um, fine I guess." Looking around, I saw Ninety-one and Zero-zero standing a bit away from the group. Ninety-one was holding Hue. Noticing me, they smiled. They weren't happy but at least they were a little reassuring. I smiled back.

"Are you feeling pain? Numbness? Odd sensations anywhere?"

"No."

"Hearing anything you normally wouldn't?"

"What?"

"Most people have side effects after coming in contact with so much core energy. I just need to make sure you are okay."

"Uh." I thought about it. Everything seemed normal. I was drowsy and hungry but that was it. "Oh, right, I had something sewn into my back. Can you get it out?"

She blinked in confusion. "Show me where."

Turning, I showed her my lower back where Waggs had sewn the rune into me. She silently looked it over before touching the spot. I tried not to flinch. It was sore.

"You said it was 'stitched' into you?" I nodded. "Well, there's nothing more than an imprint now. It looks more like a tattoo, but if it causes you any trouble come to the infirmary."

"Okay."

She stood up and headed over to where Vincent was standing with Ashe. She said something to him and Vincent nodded before heading towards. I wasn't sure how to feel about that. He held out his hand and helped me to my feet. I still felt weak, but better than before.

"You've impressed me. With the sphere and how you handled Waggs."

"Thanks," I said, unsure how to take that.

"Your pet was impressive too. He can change sizes as well as his form," Vincent said curiously. He passed a glance at Hue. Ninety-one and Zero-zero were heading over. "We'll get back to the Train soon. We just need to make sure Quince is stable."

"Is she okay?" I asked.

"Regular people can't handle so much exposure to the core’s power. She will be monitored for a few days until the medical staff can determine her status." He nodded to Ninety-one as he approached. "Luckily this core was a weaker one, so she should recover just fine."

"Did she say anything?" Ninety-one asked once Vincent had returned to Ashe.

"She said to see her if I felt weird and I guess I have a tattoo now," I said.

"What do you mean?" Zero-zero asked. I showed them the mark. "Is that where that dog sewed into you?"

"Quince told us about that. Does it hurt?"

"No. How does it look?" I asked.

"Like a tattoo," Zero-zero remarked as he took out his phone. He took a picture and showed me.

The lines were black and were thicker in some places than others, but it was a clear depiction of the triangle rune. I passed the phone back to Zero-zero without a word. Bending over, I lifted my pants leg. There were slight scares were Waggs had stitched my legs. They were nearly invisible compared to the rune, maybe because he was trying to he carefully with these.

"Are you okay? You can tell us if you're not," Ninety-one said.

"I'm just tired," I told him.

"We should be leaving soon," Zero-zero said while gazing behind himself.

Following his eyes, I saw that we stood several feet away from the edge of the core’s reach. The only signs were the field burnt grass that ended in a sharp line. And the unmoving bodies of stuffed toys that lay beyond it. Most were burned, a few weren't.

"They followed us out of town," Zero-zero spoke. The second they got too far from the core they collapsed.

"Can't we put them back?" I asked.

Zero-zero shook his head. "They just try to cross over again. Vincent said to just leave them. Their village is destroyed and they can't do anything to fix it. He says this is more merciful."

"It’s cruel," Ninety-one said. I silently agreed, but if there wasn't any other option was it worse?

Thankfully we left soon after that. The ride to the bus was quiet. I fell asleep. We were given a meal even though it was past dinner. I took a shower and headed to my room. It felt good to lay in my bed again. Hue lay heavily on my legs. Looking over him, I saw that he had two more spots on him. They were the same colors like the ones that came from the sphere.

I hadn't seen the sphere until Vincent took it. That was fine with me, I didn't want anything to do with it or its rune anyway. I dug through my backpack to distract myself. Inside were the cards, runestone, and the rose Waggs had given me. It tossed it to the other side of the room.

I dropped the back to the floor. Looking Hue up to my chest, I rolled over and pulled the sheets over us. Vincent had given us several days off. I was going to spend as much of it as I could asleep.

Quince didn't wake up for another two days. She was kept in the infirmary without visitors for at least a week. None of us were sure what they were worried would happen to her. We couldn't find Vincent to ask him. Adrian and Victoria were equally hard to find. Ashe didn't know anything either, or wouldn't say anything.

Zero-zero and Ninety-one visited me often. They encouraged me to get out of my room a lot. I think they thought I was trying to hide from what happened in the village. I was just drained. But after three days after getting back, I did go back to the garden. It was so much easier being there than any other part of the Train.

Clay had been surprised to see me. Vague news of what happened had spread through the Train. Zero-zero had mentioned getting odd looks from people before then but I didn’t think much of it at the time. I'd been keeping to myself even during meals so I didn't know if the looks were extended to all of us.

I told Clay what happened. The whole story. He seemed more horrified by it than I was. Maybe I was getting used to this stuff. Maybe I was still drained from what had happened. I showed him the rune on my skin. Out of everything, I hated it the most. Sometimes it still itches.

“Are you okay?” Clay asked.

“I’m fine.” Why did everyone ask me that? It wasn’t like I was being kept in the infirmary like Quince was. “I wasn’t hurt that badly.”

“Yeah, but you could be hurting on the inside without knowing it. Emotionally, I mean,” Clay said. “What I’m trying to say is, you may not even know how bad what happened over there will affect you yet.”

“Okay,” I said, not quite getting it.

“You’ve been through a lot in the short time that I’ve known you. Even more, before then. Just, take it easy for a while. I know how much you like working here, so I won’t tell you not to, but take it slow for a bit.”

“I-I’ll do my best,” I told him, not really understanding what I was supposed to be doing.

Was he just telling me to relax? I’ve been doing that for three days now. Besides it wasn’t like we were heading back out, so I had plenty of time to relax ‘emotionally’ or whatever he meant. As he said, I’d gone through a lot. What happened in the village was stressful, but I was fine now. It wasn’t any worse than Goldsboro.

Competitively, it wasn’t much better than anything else, but what did that matter now? The village was burned down. Waggs was dead. The core’s power, most of it anyway, was held in the sphere. Everything was fine now.


End file.
